


Faithfully In Postcards

by anglesandbluecats



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Cowboy Castiel (Supernatural), F/F, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Gay Castiel (Supernatural), I hate writing smut, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mild Smut, Miscommunication, Nerd Dean Winchester, POV Castiel (Supernatural), POV Dean Winchester, Postcards, Road Trips, Singer Dean Winchester, also im awful at writing smut, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-01-04 03:50:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 52,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18335606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anglesandbluecats/pseuds/anglesandbluecats
Summary: Lead singer of a famous rock band takes a wrong turn off the highway and finds himself in a small town bar.Small town cowboy dreams of traveling, but family obligations keep him where he is until he meets the handsome stranger sitting on his stool at the bar.The story of Dean, the famous rockstar, and Castiel, the small town cowboy, meet and begin their journey despite their differences.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first "multiple chaptered" story and it has taken me way too long to finish, sadly still not done but I'm hoping by posting it I will have more motivation to finish it. This is an extension of the very first work I posted but gives more back ground and then progresses long after. 
> 
> Dean and Cas are the main focus of this work they are also about 28-30 years old (Sam and Jo are about 24ish, Charlie is about 26 just for reference). Sam and Jess and Gabe and Kali are the other relationships that are mostly talked about. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy! I will post chapters as I get them finished and edited, hopefully breaks wont be longer than a couple days. Comments and kudos are always welcome and appreciated.

“Thank you and good night!” 

With a last strum of his guitar the lead singer walks off the stage waving to the screaming crowd. Dean can’t seem to wipe the smile off his face. There is nothing more in the world he loves than performing with his rock band, Between the Demons and Me, well except driving his baby on the open road. Which he fully intends on doing right after their tour ends. One more show and then it’s just him and his beloved Impala free to explore the country.

Soon the rest of his band members join him back stage. They have a quick meeting about their departure the next day. Most plan to head straight to the hotel, but some are still looking for a fun time. All Dean can do is shake his head, he wants to get back to the hotel, so he can pass out. The stage crew works on clearing their stuff while the stadium clears out. Once it’s clear he goes out to center stage and stares out at the empty seats. Just two hours ago the stadium was packed with flashing lights and people singing his songs back at him, now its empty and quiet. Dean loves the contrast of before, during, and after the shows. It always amazes him how many people love their music and come out to watch them live. All but two of their shows sold out this year which is a new record for the band. 

With one last look out at the stadium, Dean turns and walks out to the car waiting for him. In the morning they head out to Lawrence, Kansas. Their last show of the tour and easily the most important show. Its known as their homecoming concert and is always sold out. They save it for last just because of how special it is to every member of the band. All but one of them grew up in Kansas and most knew each other before the band was even a thought. A smile finds its way to Deans face as he thinks of home. It’s been awhile, at least eight months since they were there. 

He reaches the hotel and heads up to his room, luckily avoiding an encounter with any fans. He loves them, he really does, but right now he’s exhausted and in desperate need of a shower. After a nice hot shower and a small late-night snack Dean basically falls onto the bed. He debates whether to watch a little tv but the second his head hits the pillow his eyelids threaten to close. So tv is out of the question. Dean turns the light off, plunging the room into darkness, and gets comfortable with the sounds of the city out his window. Within seconds he’s fast asleep.

What feels like only minutes later Deans phone is blaring away waking him out of his blissful sleep. He recognizes his brother’s ringtone and barely contains the urge to throw his phone at the wall and then strangle his brother for waking him up way too early. Without opening his eyes Dean struggles to find his phone on the nightstand. Finally, he accepts the call and puts it up to his ear.

“What?” His voice is rough from sleep and he hope it doesn’t come off too rude, then again, he is pretty pissed at Sam, so he doesn’t care too much.

“Dude, where are you?” His younger brother sounds way to awake at the moment for Dean. “We’re supposed to leave in less than an hour and no one has seen you yet.”

Dean rolls over on his side to look at the little alarm clock sitting on the bedside table reading 9:15. They’re leaving Chicago at 10:00. “Shit, sorry Sammy. Must’ve forgotten to set my alarm last night. I’ll be down for breakfast in a few just gotta get packed.”

“Yeah alright jerk, see you soon.”

“Bitch,” Dean can hear his little brother chuckle on the other end before the line goes dead. With a groan he sits up and attempts to get out of bed. He’s tempted to lay back down but then his brother will be pissed, and Dean can’t deal with one of Sammy’s face bitch faces before food. And coffee. He needs coffee. Finally forcing himself off the bed he makes his way to the shower for a quick rinse off and get his stuff packed. He throws on a comfortable pair of dark wash jeans and a green flannel shirt with a black tee underneath. It’s a travel day so he’s gotta be comfortable. After packing the few things, he has with him at the hotel, he grabs his bag and heads downstairs for breakfast.

He finds about half his band there and some of his crew still eating. Soon Dean has a hot cup of coffee and a plate piled high with pancakes and bacon. There’s an open seat next to Charlie, the feisty redhead and his best friend from college, so he goes over and sets down his plate. Charlie is on her laptop, not surprisingly, playing one of her online games. Dean takes a sip of coffee, wincing slightly at the cheap hotel brand, watching her for a minute.

“Really Charlie? It’s like 9:40 in the morning. Who on Earth would you be playing with at this hour?”

“For your information Winchester, there are different time zones across the world which is the beauty of online gaming. Now shut up and drink your coffee,” she says without even taking her eyes off her screen. The girls a computer genius and now works as part of the technician crew for the band, along with running the website and other social media networks. On her free time, she designs her own video games and has been successful with it too. They met their first year in college in chemistry class, she was a computer science major and he was studying mechanical engineering. The pair got a long instantly and allowed Dean to open up about his nerdier side when it came to movies and books. Charlie is all about the different fandoms, but insult her OTP and you are in for one hell of a ride. Dean learned that pretty early on and never made that mistake again. She was also one of the very first people he came out as bisexual to, now he’s out and proud and most of it is in thanks to her. They’re best friends and will always be there for each other.

Not too long later Sam sits down across from him reading through something on his phone. “So, get this, due to the success of last night’s show and some of our previous shows they are extending the area on the floor at the Kansas show. The show sold out within a week of tickets going on sale like last year. I’m not sure how they’re going to manage that, but the fan base is loving it and that just means we will be having even more people at our homecoming show and…”

“Woah woah woah. Slow down Sasquatch,” Sam gives him a bitchface for that comment, ”You’re talking way too fast and honestly, I don’t care much for that stuff. As long as fans are there to enjoy the music we provide then I am a happy man.”

“Ok, but Dean it’s just going to be crazier now with even more fans. That might mean we have to add to our security detail if we want to keep things under control.”

“Hey Sammy.”

“It’s Sam.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Look we have always been fine in the past. Yes, there are some of those crazy fans out there, but we have handled them before. Just because they added more room doesn’t mean we have to go crazy with everything. Besides this is their deal so they must be able to control everything if they are willing to do this. It’ll be fine, trust me,” Dean says with his usual cocky smirk on his face.

Sam shakes his head and lets out a sigh, “Whatever you say jerk.”

“Damn right bitch! Now let’s get this show on the road and head out,” Dean stands up grabbing his last piece of bacon and heads out the door with the rest of his band and crew following behind. Next thing he knows he’s on the tour bus sitting next to Charlie, who once again is on her laptop. He takes the time to work on new songs for their new record, but can’t come up with anything good. It’s been that way for months and he has no idea why he can’t come up with any somewhat decent lyrics. Sam says he just needs a break after the tour to sit down and try again. Dean hopes he’s right and it’s not the end of his song writing career already. He’s got about eight hours on the bus so he’s gotta be able to come up with something in that amount of time. Really, he’s just thankful they didn’t have to fly again, boy does he hate flying. Dean settles into the seat with his notebook and pencil in his lap and his best friend to his left. Throughout the ride no words get written but he does get a wonderful nap in.

Two days later Dean finds himself standing just on the side of the stage waiting for his que to go on. Everyone else is already out there and all the lights are off, so no one knows. The crowd is almost silent with the anticipation. Suddenly a single drum beat sounds in the darkness and the crowd goes crazy. The drum continues the rhythm soon joined with the keyboard. The lights on stage start flashing the exact moment the guitar and bass start. Dean can’t help the smile on his face when he hears how loud the crowd is already. All of a sudden, the band goes silent and darkness swallows the stadium. That’s his que.

Dean walks out on to stage, careful not to trip, until he is dead center. Right on cue the band starts again, and the lights come on. If it’s even possible the crowd goes even crazier when they see Dean. He starts to sing the very first song they produced, it’s a band tradition to start with that song no matter where they go. The crowd knows it well, he can hear them singing right along with him and his smile never leaves his face. When the song comes to an end Dean grabs the mic and walks forward along the catwalk.

“Good evening Lawrence!” The crowd cheers louder, but Dean continues on, “It’s great to be here. You all know how much we love our homecoming show and were so glad you guys were able to join us. Even though most of you know us already I still like to give a little shout out to all the people standing behind me.”

“You all know my little brother back there on the drums, so give it up for Sammy!” Sam gives a wave to the crowd. 

“And we got Benny over there on the keyboard,” He gives a small two finger salute.

“We got two of the best women I know here on the guitar and bass, so please welcome Jo and Pamela!” They wave to the crowd and Dean can hear a few cat calls from the crowd, “Careful guys they both could take anyone down within seconds, believe me I have firsthand experience.” 

With introductions out of the way the band starts up their next song. They play their hearts out as they always do, but they try a little harder for the fans here. Their hour and a half of play time flies by and soon they’re all standing off stage drenched in sweat waiting to go back on for their encore. The fans are going crazy and it doesn’t take long for the stage crew to give them the ok. Dean runs back on to the stage to greet the crowd one more time. They play three more songs and then one by one the band members disappear off the stage until it’s just Dean and his guitar.

“Thank you so much everyone for coming out. This has been the greatest year we’ve had and ending with this show was the perfect ending. You are all amazing and the reason we do what we do. Thank you and good night!” He runs off stage and hands his guitar off to one of the crew members before grabbing a water bottle and towel. The rest of the band is waiting for him.

“Alright guys, we’re done,” Dean says with a tired smile on his face. “Let’s celebrate the go home to your families. We have a couple months off, so enjoy it while you can and then we will get back into the studio.”

Some family members that came to the show join them for a celebratory drink of champagne. Ellen came to support Jo and the Winchesters. Jess is there with Sam’s arm around her, she has to fly back the next day for work but wanted to be there for the band. Benny’s wife Andrea came up from Louisiana. Charlie and her girlfriend have already disappeared which doesn’t surprise anyone, those two haven’t seen each other in almost six months. Dean looks around at their group and can’t keep the smile off his face. He loves each and every one of them as if they were his own family. Once the champagne is gone everyone starts to head out. Dean takes the time to walk back to the stage and heads out to the center. He sits down and stares out at the empty seats. He’s unable to believe the tours over after almost eight months straight of traveling. It was their best one yet. Every stadium was packed full of adoring fans and he had a blast each time. He will admit he is exhausted now but it was all worth it. Soon he can feel his brother sit down next to him. They sit in silence for a while just appreciating it after being surrounded by noise for so long.

“Let’s go home Dean.”

“Yeah that sound’s good” Dean stands up and together they walk off stage to get their stuff. Once in the car they take off to their simple house on the other side of the city. They’re originally from Lawrence but after a house fire took their mother from them when Dean was only four. Their dad ended up taking them road tripping around the country unable to find a steady job due to his drinking problem. They stayed in cheap motels and struggled to feed themselves. The brother’s childhood wasn’t easy but eventually their dad got his life together when they settled down in Lebanon at the beginning of Dean’s high school years. A lot of the reason they finally settled was thanks to Ellen, the owner of the Roadhouse, she gave John a job and made sure he was held accountable for his actions while also caring about the boys. That’s how they met Jo, Ellen’s daughter, and how Dean managed to get into college and graduate. During Dean’s college years they moved to Lawrence so its now home again.

It’s less than a twenty-minute drive, but it leaves them both ready for bed. So, they say their goodnights and walk to their separate rooms. Dean instantly strips down and hops in the shower to wash off the sweat from the concert. Once clean he slips on a clean pair of boxers and crawls into his bed, instantly sinking into the familiar memory foam mattress. With a content sigh and a small smile on his face he falls asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean leaves Lawrence for his annual road trip with Baby. Due to a road closure he finds himself lost in a small town somewhere in Oklahoma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never been to these places before, but they are real. Except the bar in Okarche, I made that up for the sake of the story. Cas comes in next chapter!

The next few days pass quickly with the brothers relaxing for the first time in months. There’s nothing they have to do concerning music for at least another month, except write some songs if they’re feeling up for it. They fall into an easy rhythm with Sam running in the morning and making coffee for Dean before he hits the shower. By the time he’s done Dean is up and cooking breakfast for the two of them. Not much has to be done around their house. It’s not too big since the brothers are only there for a month or two out of the year but they’ve had it since Dean graduated college. They take a day trip to Lebanon to see Ellen and Jo at the roadhouse and hang out with some of their friends in the area.

A week after the tour ended Dean packs his bags and loads them into the Impala getting ready to start his three-week road trip. Jo pulls up in the drive way, turning off her car before climbing out. Dean pulls her into a hug then releases her as Sam comes out of the house with his bags.

“Thank you again for watching the house, Jo,” Dean says.

“Oh please, I love staying here. Gets me out of my house, don’t get me wrong I love my mother, but after being on tour for so long I do enjoy a couple weeks by myself,” She replies with a small smile on her lips. 

“And thanks for taking my sasquatch of a brother to the airport,” Sam gives him a bitch face for that comment, “Oh come on Sammy, you know you’re going to miss me.”

Sam can’t fight the smile from his face and walks towards Dean. They embrace each other with a few pats to the back. “Stay safe Dean and please keep in contact this time, at least every other day just let me know what state you’re in.”

“Aw Sammy you going to worry about me?” Dean teases.

“Someone needs to,” Sam mumbles, “Going East or West this year?”

“East, been a couple years since I’ve headed that way.”

Each year after the tour ends they spend a week at home and then they split off for some much-needed vacation time. Sam heads over to California to spend some quality time with his girlfriend, Jess. They see each other somewhat regularly while the band tours, she even travels with them for a couple weeks when they’re on the west coast and then she flies out to a couple shows if it coordinates with her work schedule. But these next three weeks are their time and they tend to not waste a second of it. Sam always comes back happy and refreshed. Dean on the other hand likes to take his Baby and drive on the open road touring through as many states as he can. Some would think he would hate traveling after being on tour for so much of the year and its true. By the time the tour is done he’s quite tired of traveling with the whole band and having a set schedule. When it’s just him, his car, and the open road he absolutely loves it. No one knows exactly what he does during the three weeks, Dean always just says he drives and loves it. In reality it’s the time he allows his inner history nerd to come out and he goes to so many historical or cool places. It makes him happy and he doesn’t want someone to take that away from him or make fun of him for it. So, he keeps it to himself and enjoys it. 

“Alright be safe, I’ll call when I land in California,” Sam says with one last hug the two brothers part ways. Sam with Jo heading to the airport and Dean in the Impala getting ready to start his road trip. With a smile on his face he climbs in, revs her engine a little, then pulls out on to the road heading to his first destination. He always starts his trips the same, a few stops in Kansas then heads south into Oklahoma. From there he either goes East or West depending on how he’s feeling. The last two years he went West and he kind of misses some of the sights in the East. The few days before Dean went through and did research about the places he wants to visit so he has a game plan with the limited time he has. He really wants to make it up to Boston, since it’s one of his favorites, so he can’t spend too much time down South if he wants to make it that far North.

Roughly three hours later Dean makes it to his first stop, Cawker City, home to the largest ball of twine. It’s his own tradition to stop there first every year. He remembers the first time he saw it, he was only 12 years old. Dean saw a sign advertising it and he begged his dad to stop so he could see it, but his dad just blew him off and didn’t even slow down as they drove by. Even though it was only for a brief moment, Dean had his face pressed against the window mesmerized by it. So now every year Dean goes to see it to appease his 12-year-old self. Really, it’s not that cool, just a giant ball of what looks like hay sitting under a covered section in the middle of the business district. There’s not much to it, but it still is very important to him. Just like every year, Dean goes to the café across the street and orders a coffee then sits there and stares at the ball for about half an hour before he’s back on the road. About an hour south of Cawker City is Lucas, home of the largest collection of the smallest version of large things. The concept is the weirdest thing, but that’s what drew Dean in. Ever since his first visit he fell in love with the place and now goes every year and each time there’s always new things. By the time he’s done in the mini museum its late, so he finds a local diner for some food and then a cheap motel he can stay at for the night.

The next morning, he wakes up early and hops in the car after picking up some coffee. His drive is short, a little more than an hour south where he stops in Lindsborg to tour the Coronado Heights Castle, its small but the views are awesome and totally worth the stop. Soon he’s off to Dodge City, where Dean gets to live out his cowboy fantasies and loves every second he spends in the city. In the late afternoon he drives to Meade to tour the Dalton Gang Hideout and Museum, it’s his first time to this one after he came across it while doing preparations for this trip. It sounded interesting with the history behind it, so Dean decided to give it a shot. It did not disappoint, and Dean makes a mental note to visit again next year. He finds another cheap motel for the night and falls asleep almost instantly from the busy day. That’s what Dean loves most about these trips, they’re busy and leaves him exhausted but he enjoys them so much.

With more coffee Dean is back on the road not even eight hours later. His next and final stop in Kansas is a tribute to Charlie and her long-term girlfriend, Dorothy. It started as a joke his first trip, but he enjoyed his time, so he goes back every year now. He pulls up to a barn with a giant rainbow painted on it with the words “Land of Oz”. Dean steps out of the car with a smile on his face before he pulls out his phone to take selfie of him and the barn. He quickly sends it to the two girls then heads inside to walk around Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz. About half an hour later he walks out and his phone buzzes in his pocket. A smile forms on his face and he reads Charlies reply, then he’s on the road heading south into Oklahoma. 

The drive takes a little over three hours, but he makes it to Clinton, home of the Route 66 Museum. Dean absolutely loves the museum and spends hours there every year. It’s a tribute to the history of the highway with classic cars, signs, and stories. No matter how many times Dean has visited he always learns something new. He loves the history of how the road came to be and how it got brought to fame. The classic cars make him love it a bit more too of course. By the time he’s ready to leave it’s a little after 5:00 PM so he hops back into his own classic car and heads towards the city. About 45 minutes later he comes to find that Hwy 40 is closed for repairs, so he takes the detour, but somehow makes a wrong turn, he drives for about 20 minutes when he finally realizes he’s heading in the wrong direction. He sees a small bar about a block ahead, so he pulls over to ask for directions.

Dean walks into the small bar and instantly falls in love with its old charm and laid-back atmosphere. He’s thankful that if he were to get lost anywhere, this isn’t a bad place to be. There’s a young brunette working behind the bar, so he heads that way taking a seat on a bar stool. Taking a moment, Dean looks around the bar again and sees a few people scattered around, an elderly couple sitting at a booth and a couple of guys playing a round of pool. That strikes Dean’s interests, he loves a good game of pool.

“Well hello there stranger,” a sweet voice from behind the bar gets his attention. He turns and finds the brunette looking at him with a happy smile on her face, “Haven’t seen you here before and I haven’t heard of any newbies in Okarche, so I’m guessing you’re lost.”

Dean lets out a small chuckle, must be a small town he found himself in, “Well ma’am you would be correct, took a wrong turn off Hwy 40 and ended up here.”

“Ah yes they closed the road for some construction work, if it makes you feel any better you’re not the first one to end up here looking for directions.”

“That does make me feel better, I’m not the only idiot out there apparently,” Dean replies with another laugh.

She laughs along and with a smile still on her face she asks, “So can I get you anything to drink? Or just looking for some directions?”

Dean sits there for a moment contemplating then shrugs, he’s in no real rush to get to the city. A drink or two won’t put him behind schedule, plus he likes this place so there’s no real reason to say no. “I’ll have a whiskey please, whatever you got, I’m not too picky.”

“Coming right up,” she turns to get his drink right as another woman comes out from the doors behind the bar with a slightly angry expression on her face. Both women talk, and they don’t look very happy, Dean tries to not listen in but the words band and cancelled catches his attention. A moment later the bartender brings his drink over to him.

“Hey, I couldn’t help but over hear a little bit, is everything ok?” He asks her.

She sighs with a hint of sadness on her face, “Every Thursday we have a local band come and play, sometimes they’re from the city or other smaller towns, and the people here love it, look forward to it each week. The band just canceled so they can’t make it tonight. The whole town will be disappointed when they come tonight and there’s no live music for them.”

Another customer calls her over and she leaves Dean with a sad smile on her face. He sips on his drink and thinks about what she told him. He’s in no rush to get out of town, his guitar is in his car, and there’s an opening for a live act. A smile finds its way to his face, it’s been awhile since he’s performed by himself, but he would love the opportunity to do it. The other woman comes out from the doors again and before Dean can question himself he calls her over.

“Hi, my name is Dean Winchester, I’m just passing through town, but I heard of your band cancelling on you. I have my guitar in my car and if you need a replacement I’d love to fill in,” He gives her a hopeful smile. She stares at him with an unreadable expression for a little while and his smile falls. Maybe this was a bad idea.

“You play and sing?” She asks with a tone he can’t quite decipher.

“Um, yes ma’am.”

“Great you’re hired.”

“Really?” His face lights up with another smile, she chuckles a little finally smiling back.

“Hey, you’re the one who offered, and you’ll be saving a town from a disappointing night,” She sticks out her hand for him to shake, “I’m Cathy by the way, the owner of this bar.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Dean shakes her hand. “When do you want me to go on?”

“The bands usually start around 8 and play for about two hours and I’ll pay you $100 for the night.”

“Oh no, you don’t need to pay me. I love all the opportunities I can get to play solo, really there’s no need,” Dean argues.

She stares at him for a moment, “Fine but your drinks and food are on the house then.”

He smiles and can tell by the look on her face that he should just accept it and not argue with her, she reminds him a little bit of Ellen in that way. “Thank you, you’re too kind.”

“Hey Kate, this gentleman here has offered to fill in for the band tonight, so all his drinks and food are on the house,” Cathy tells the original brunette when she comes back over. Kate looks over at him and smiles then nods. Dean looks at his watch and sees it’s a little after 7 so he has time to relax and enjoy the bar for a little while. A small smile makes its way to his face as the excitement to play grows. Mentally he starts going through some of the songs he wants to play and before he knows it the bar starts to fill with people.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cas' point of view! This is the last chapter that I have edited currently, but I will have the next chapter out soon! If its not out within a week please yell at me to post it. Thanks and enjoy!

Castiel checks on the last horse in the barn, making sure she’ll be ok for the rest of the night, before he locks up. With a heavy sigh he walks towards the house hoping to hop in the shower then head to the bar to listen to the local band for the night. His brother, Gabriel, sits at the kitchen table, laptop in hand, going over the ranches’ expenses for the next month. Six years ago, when disaster struck his brothers property he had called Castiel to help him basically start over. He went without a second thought. Some kids decided to set fire to the barn and drive through Gabriel’s crops for that year, destroying everything his brother had worked so hard for. The barn was burned to the ground, luckily Gabriel was able to get most of the horses and other animals out, but he himself suffered some minor burns and breathing issues from the smoke. Castiel helped with rebuilding the barn and getting the field prepped for the next years crops. It was the family farm after all, left to the brothers after both their parents passed away. Gabriel knew of Castiel’s plans to move away and start his life as a teacher without having to worry about the ranch, so he happily took ownership of it and made it his own. It broke his heart having to call Castiel for help and postpone his dreams, but he was desperate. Castiel hasn’t looked back or regretted it once, but the itch to move on again grows every year.

In the last six years the brothers have brought the ranch back to life and their bond has never been stronger. Castiel does love the work on the ranch though. He loves taking care of the animals, especially the horses and his bees. They’ve created a business of selling eggs from the chickens, honey from the bees, and crops from the fields. The ranch is thriving and Castiel couldn’t be prouder of his brother. Everyday Castiel will take his horse, Hannah, out on the trails and enjoy the scenery around him. He feels free, able to do whatever he wants, yet he won’t follow his dreams of being a teacher outside of their small town of Okarche. Gabriel still needs him here even though Gabe would probably tell him otherwise. Either way Castiel is content with his life and has accepted it will forever be this way. Working the ranch, riding his horse, checking on his bees, and going to the local bar for entertainment. 

“Hey Cassie, can you check over these numbers for me when you have the chance?” Gabe asks when Castiel walks into the kitchen.

He grabs a glass from the cupboard and fills it with water before sitting next to his brother at the table. Castiel pulls the laptop closer to him. At first glance everything looks the same as always, but then something at the bottom catches his attention. “Did you hire someone Gabe?” They didn’t talk about hiring anyone, the ranch wasn’t that big and the two of them have handled everything well. 

“Yeah I wanted to talk to you about that. Nothing is official yet, I just put it in the budget to see if we could make it work,” He explains.

“Ok, but why do we need to hire someone? There’s not that much work to do around here and we’ve handled it just fine.”

“I know that, and you know I love having you here brother, but don’t you think it’s time you go off and start to live your life?” Castiel looks over at his brother with a shocked look and a little hurt. Does his brother not want him here anymore? “Oh, come on Cassie, I know that look. Of course, I want you here! You’ve been great the last six years, none of this would’ve been possible without you. But this isn’t your dream. You want to be teaching some kids somewhere, anywhere, but here really. I want you to have that.”

“Gabe my life is here now, I’ve accepted that and I’m ok with it.”

“You shouldn’t just have to accept your life baby bro,” Somehow Gabe grabbed a lollipop in the span of seconds and is now sucking on it, leaning back in his chair staring at him. “Your dream has always been to travel and teach. Not be stuck working at the family ranch.”

Castiel watches his brother trying to figure out why he chose now to have this conversation. Sure, Gabe has mentioned Castiel teaching every now and then, but never to this magnitude of hiring someone to replace him. It’s a little concerning since Gabe is usually the one to avoid all serious talks if possible and he sticks to jokes and pranks most of the time. 

“Gabriel, what’s going on?”

Gabe sighs then puts all four legs of the chair on the ground before leaning forward. “Look Cassie, you know my girlfriend Kali? Well I’m planning on asking her to marry me soon.”

“That’s fantastic Gabe,” Castiel congratulates his brother but the serious tone of the conversation is confusing him still.

“I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life, and if she says yes then that means starting my own little family. I know how much you care about me and this place but Cassie, you don’t have to take care of me anymore. I’m good. The ranch is good. Life is good. I’m living the life I want, and I think it’s time you do the same.” All Castiel can do is just stare at him, “Travel, find a boyfriend, teach, hell do whatever you want, but don’t sit here and accept this as your life. You never wanted this, you wanted out and you got out! Until I sucked you back in, but now it’s time to be free.”

“Gabe, I get it, I think. I mean you’re ready to start something new, but I don’t know if I am. What if something happens again? I should be here to help. And when you start your family I can transform a place in the barn for me, so I won’t be in the way and I can still take care of the ranch and…”

“Cassie! Stop, you’re rambling. And you will not be sleeping in the barn ever. You’re my family forever and always, you will never be in the way. Just think about it ok?”

Castiel shuts his mouth and gives a small nod. He’s still trying to process everything, “I’m going to go shower then head to the bar.”

With a sigh Gabriel leans back in his chair, “Alright baby bro, I’m going to head to Kali’s for the night so just double check everything is locked up and I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah sounds good, night Gabe,” Castiel turns to the staircase heading upstairs to his room. Castiel strips throwing his sweaty and dirty clothing into the hamper before rapping a towel around his waist. Once he’s in the bathroom down the hall he turns on the hot water letting steam fill the room before he steps under the spray. He takes his time washing the dirt off his body. Roughly fifthteen minutes later he’s back in his room trying to find something decent to wear. Laundry is quickly added to his list of things to do when he sees only his nicest pair of jeans is clean. So, he throws on the dark wash jeans and finds a clean dark blue button up to wear with it. His nicer brown boots sit by his closet, so he slips them on then heads back down the stairs.

Gabe is already gone by the time he reaches the kitchen again. Castiel grabs an apple from the counter before heading to the door. His favorite hat hangs on the hooks by the door, so he sets the light-gray cowboy hat on his head before he’s out the door. He hops into his truck and starts down the road into town. About ten minutes later he pulls into the parking lot of the only bar in town. The sign advertises local band music like it does every Thursday night. Bands from the surrounding areas come to perform for two hours just to get some experience and the townsfolks love it so by 8:00 the bar is usually pretty busy. Castiel checks his watch, 7:30, same time as he always gets there. He knows Cathy, the owner, pretty well and he hopes Kate is working tonight, she’s his favorite waitress by far.

Everything is exactly as it always is on Thursday nights, until it’s not. Castiel freezes in the doorway staring at his usual seat at the bar, which gives him a perfect view of the stage when he leans against the bar. His seat is always empty, he gets there early enough to claim it before the crowd shows up. But this specific Thursday there seems to be someone occupying his spot. A little bit of frustration boils inside him, but that instantly fades when the guy turns to look around the bar. Castiel has never seen him before, and he would remember a face that beautiful. The stranger is absolutely gorgeous with his short sandy hair and chiseled cheek bones. It’s hard to make out details from this distance, but Castiel knows the man will be even more gorgeous close up. He forces himself to walk closer and oh he is so not disappointed. The stranger wears a dark leather jacket with a black tee underneath and a dark wash of jeans that show off the man’s thighs. He has freckles sprinkled across his cheeks and nose with the most perfect pair of lips Castiel has ever seen. There’s no way a man can be this perfect. 

The stranger turns back to the bar and Castiel releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Suddenly Castiel is very thankful he’s wearing his best jeans, he knows they show off his butt and thighs. He tries to shake himself back into reality. With Castiel’s luck the man is probably not even into guys. Taking one last deep breath Castiel gains the courage to go sit next to the man. So, he does just that, but then sits there for a moment not knowing what to do next. Talking. Right that’s what normal people do, they talk.

The next words out of Castiel’s mouth causes him to cringe and hopes his chances aren’t completely ruined now.

“You don’t belong here.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet. Dean sings. They talk and get to know each other some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I couldn't sleep last night and decided to work on this story and managed to get this chapter edited and write some more so I thought I would post it now! If you have read my previous work 'You're So Beautiful- Def Leppard" then the first half will sound pretty familiar, I did change a little bit though. It starts out in Dean's point of view then switches to Cas part way through. Heres the link to the song lyrics in this chapter, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/defleppard/youresobeautiful.html . Its a great song an I love it. Enjoy!

“You don’t belong here.”

Slightly startled out of his thoughts by a gravelly voice behind him, Dean peeks over his shoulder to see a man with a light-colored cowboy hat. Dean can’t help the slight agitation that washes over him, he’s been sitting at the bar and no one has paid any attention to him except for a few curious stares. Now there’s a guy here telling him he doesn’t belong there. He has a snarky comment on the tip of his tongue ready to defend himself to the stranger, but it gets caught in his throat. The man tips his hat up a little and striking blue eyes peek out causing Dean’s breath to catch. He’s never seen eyes so captivating, it’s like an ocean calling him out to sea and Dean knows he would get lost in an instant. Somehow Dean forces his eyes away and takes in the rest of the man standing in front of him. He’s wearing a dark blue button-down shirt, a dark wash pair of jeans that hugs the man’s thighs just perfectly, and to complete the look he’s wearing a pair of brown cowboy boots. Underneath the hat Dean catches sight of dark hair curing at the back of the man’s neck. Dean holds back a groan when he realizes this man is literally every cowboy fantasy he’s ever had wrapped into one. He’s always had a thing for dark hair and blue eyes, men and women both, but no one has had eyes quite as beautiful as this stranger. Dean lets his gaze rake over the man again taking in the lean body type but based off the powerful looking thighs and broad shoulders, Dean knows this guy has got to be strong. Quickly Dean moves his eyes back to the man’s face after realizing he was blatantly checking the guy out. Not like he could help it though, the guys hot. A slight blush makes its way to Dean’s cheeks as he meets the stranger’s eyes again only to find an intense stare right back at him. The blue eyes don’t help Dean any either.

Dean finds himself getting lost in the stranger’s gaze again. He sees no hostility or judgement in his eyes though, just simple curiosity and slight confusion. The man tilts his head to the side just a little bit and Dean can’t help but think its adorable. There’s no way this man can be both super-hot and adorable at the same time. Just his luck he runs into the most attractive man he’s ever seen and he’s probably not even into guys. A slight groan escapes Deans throat again and his blush is back before he can completely process what’s going on around him. He blinks out of the trance the blue eyes put him in and sees Kate standing on the other side of the bar with a slight smirk on her lips. Dean quickly looks away and hides his face from her knowing eyes.

“Now that I have your guys’ attention, what can I get for you Castiel?” She turns her attention to the stranger next to him.

The man tears his eyes from Dean and gives a small smile to the waitress, “My normal please?” Then he turns his attention back to Dean, still waiting for a response to his statement from earlier. Again, Dean looks for any sign of irritation or hatred but finds none.

He clears his throat and picks up the glass in front of him. “First time here,” Dean finally answers then takes a sip of his whiskey. The other man, Castiel as Kate had called him, leans a little closer to Dean with another head tilt and looking at him through squinty eyes.

“Here you go, Castiel,” Kate interrupts the staring once again and places a glass of what looks like lemonade in front of the other man. She winks at Dean before heading off to help another customer now that the bar is getting busier.

“Thank you, Kate,” He says after her in the same gravelly voice. She offers a small wave back to him and he smiles a little before taking a sip from his drink. Castiel turns so he’s facing the bar and Dean takes that as his que to the conversation being over. Slightly disappointed that he doesn’t get the chance to get to know the man more since his curiosity is killing him now. Dean tries to distract himself from the blue-eyed man, unsuccessfully, by finishing off his whiskey and waving down Kate for another. A couple minutes of awkward silence later, Dean has a new drink.

“So, what are you doing here then?”

Dean nearly chokes on his drink when Castiel talks to him again. He thought the conversation was over. Turning his head, he can see Castiel is already looking at him with his head tilted to the side again. Even though all Dean can see is curiosity he can’t help but defend himself for siting at a bar. “What? A man can’t be driving through town and stop for a drink?”

The man’s head tilts even more to the side with that response.

“My apologies, I don’t mean to come off as rude. I’ve been told my people skills are a bit rusty especially with strangers, but I didn’t mean to offend you,” The man said looking back towards the bar with a slight look of hurt on his features. Dean instantly feels guilt wash over him like a wave. He stares at the man’s profile trying to find a way to fix the situation.

“Hey my bad man. I didn’t mean for that to come off as rude as it did. I’m on my way to the city but Hwy 40 was closed and I took a wrong turn. Some how ended up here and thought a drink sounded great so I stopped,” Dean explains trying to get Castiel to look at him again. “I take it a lot of people don’t normally stop in this small town huh?”

With a quite chuckle that melts Dean’s heart just a little bit more Castiel shakes his head, “No there’s hardly anybody new here so you were quite a surprise. Don’t get me wrong though, it was a nice surprise finding a very attractive man sitting in my usual spot.”

Dean nearly chokes on his drink again hearing the other man’s words. It takes a while for him to process the words, but he can feel the blush on his cheeks return for what’s got to be the fifth time already. Castiel just smirks at him and takes another sip of his drink. The guy knows what he’s doing to Dean. He’s got to admit he didn’t expect him to be the flirty sarcastic type, let alone be interested in guys. A smile finds its way to Deans face finally feeling a little hope at something with the stranger next to him. He’s not really into the whole one-night stand thing anymore since the early years of the band when that’s all he did. It got old pretty fast, but every now and then he will go out looking for someone. Maybe it’ll be his lucky night with Castiel he just has to play his cards right. Before he can reply though Cathy interrupts them.

“Hey Dean, its time so whenever you’re ready.”

“Thanks. I’ll go get everything, should be ready in about five minutes,” Dean throws back the last of his drink and stands up ready to head to his car. Before he can get even half a step away, he turns back to Castiel with a smirk on his lips. “Listen I have to go do something really quick, but I would love it if you would stay until after, so we can continue our little chat.”

Castiel looks a little surprised and tilts his head, “Where are you going?”

Dean can’t help the flirty smile that forms on his lips, “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see Cas.” He adds in a wink then walks towards the doors making sure he swings his hips just a little bit more than normal. Dean looks back hoping to catch Castiel watching him and isn’t disappointed when he finds the man’s eyes trained on his ass. Even from the far distance Dean can see the blush on the man’s face when he realizes he’s been caught. Dean laughs and sends another wink his way before walking out. He makes it to his precious ‘67 Chevy Impala and grabs his favorite guitar from the back. “Wish me luck, Baby.”

After a few more minutes talking to Cathy, Dean walks to the little stage set up on one side of the bar. He gets situated and makes sure his guitar is tuned and ready to go before looking up at the crowd. For being such a small town, the bar is crowded. His eyes naturally drift toward the bar and meets blue. Castiel sits there staring at him with pure curiosity and excitement. Dean winks one more time just to mess with the guy and is rewarded with another slight blush on the man’s cheeks. With a small proud smile, Dean surveys the rest of the crowd and sees everyone looking at him expectantly.

“Hey everyone,” Dean greets after clearing his throat, “So turns out the band that was supposed to play tonight had to cancel but I offered to take their place since I was in town. My names Dean Winchester and I got a few originals for you guys but also a few covers of my favorites. If any of you have any requests, I’d be happy to play those as well. Alright, well I hope you enjoy.”

With one last glance at Cas, Dean starts to strum his guitar to one of his all-time favorites from his own band. He starts singing and can see a couple of people in the crowd singing along which just makes this whole thing that much better. Dean likes the acoustic version of this song better, but the record company wanted the full band version, so he tries to play it at shows whenever he can. He just hopes his fans here like it just as much. When he finishes the song, he’s greeted with the crowd clapping and even a few cat calls

“Thanks everyone. That’s one from my band so I hope you liked it. Alright how about I do a cover for you guys, how do you feel about some Lynyrd Skynyrd?” The crowd cheers and with a smile Dean jumps right into Simple Man. He plays through song after song getting a few requests every now and then. It’s not until his two hours are almost up that a pretty redhead woman walks up the stage.

“Could you possibly play ‘You’re So Beautiful’?” She asks in a quite shy voice.

Dean smiles. That song has always been one of his favorite Def Leppard favorites, “Sure can, sweetheart.”

She smiles then walks back to her table where a young blonde woman whispers something in her ear causing the redhead to blush and shake her head with a shy smile. He now understands why she wanted him to play that song. Dean looks toward the bar for probably the hundredth time since he started and is met with a fond gaze from blue eyes. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t help but look to Castiel and apricate how amazing he looks sitting there with his messy dark hair and bright blue eyes. His hat sits next to him and with his lemonade in hand he offers a warm smile when he sees Dean watching him. Dean sends him a wink and doesn’t miss how heat forms behind those blue eyes. A blush finds its way to Dean’s face this time.

Dean clears his throat and starts strumming his guitar again. Soon he starts to sing. His eyes never leave the man at the bar. As he sings the lyrics he can’t help but compare Castiel to a beautiful angel himself. So, he sings directly to Castiel and can see the way it affects the man as he listens.

_**You say all I do is think about you** _  
_**That's right, you're the only thing that's on my mind** _  
_**Your light, won't you let it shine on me, yeah** _  
_**All night, hold me tight and don't let go** _  
_**'Cause I can't help myself, you know** _

_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**I know what I got, I know that it's hot** _  
_**And you're what I want** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**One thing on my mind** _  
_**I'm so in love and so alive** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**Yeah, an angel from the sky** _  
_**The sparkle in my eye** _  
_**I can't believe you're mine** _  
_**Na na na na naaah, na na na naaaah** _

_**Sometimes, I slip and slide through my emotions** _  
_**So high, take me up and spin me 'round** _  
_**'Cause I don't wanna come back down** _

_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**I know what I got, I know that it's hot** _  
_**And you're what I want** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**One thing on my mind** _  
_**I'm so in love and so alive** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**Yeah, an angel from the sky** _  
_**The sparkle in my eye** _  
_**I can't believe you're mine** _  
_**Na na na na naaah, na na na naaaah** _

_**It's okay, it's all right** _  
_**You're so beautiful, so beautiful** _

_**I can't believe you're mine** _  
_**An angel from the sky** _  
_**The sparkle in my eye** _  
_**Just barely in time** _  
_**Na na na na naaah, na na na naaaah** _

_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**I know what I got, I know that it's hot** _  
_**And you're what I want** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**One thing on my mind** _  
_**I'm so in love and so alive** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**You're under my skin** _  
_**My head's in a spin** _  
_**Again and again** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**It's okay, all right, all good, all right** _  
_**I look in your eyes** _  
_**I'm so in love and so alive** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**It's okay, it's all right, it's all good, it's all right** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _  
_**It's okay, it's all right, it's all good, it's all right** _  
_**You're so beautiful** _

When the song ends, the crowds’ cheers take Deans attention away from the perfect man and he can see the two women share a soft kiss. The smile on his face grows and he says a quick thank you to the crowd and Cathy before making his way back to the bar. A couple people clap him on the back on his way, but he pays no attention to them. Castiel watches him approach with an unreadable expression on his face. Dean takes his original stool from earlier and a glass of whiskey is instantly set in front of him. He takes it with a thanks to Kate before turning to face Castiel.

\--------------------------------------- 

Green. It keeps flashing through Castiel’s mind. Dean’s eyes are such a vibrant green he could write hundreds of poems describing them and it still wouldn’t be enough. The stranger turned out to be a cocky, flirty rock star, who also happens to be nice and nonjudgmental. Even with Castiel’s “rusty people skills” Dean still sat there and talked to him. Even asked if he would stay after so they can keep talking. The man’s voice is absolutely gorgeous, just like the rest of him. Castiel could’ve sat there for days listening to the smooth voice. And the last song when Dean was watching him the whole time Castiel couldn’t stop the heat moving to his face. It was almost as if Dean was singing to him. Oh, and speak of the devil he’s walking this way. Dean sits back in his seat where a new glass of whiskey sits waiting for him. He takes a sip then looks over at Castiel.

“So, you can sing.” Castiel states the obvious. He internally chastises himself for not being able to communicate like a normal person.

Dean lets out a quite chuckle, “Yep.”

Knowing Dean isn’t making fun of him at all Castiel continues his observations, “So, you have a band?”

“Yep, called Between the Demons and Me. Just finished our country wide tour a couple weeks ago actually.”

“So, you’re like a rock star.”

“Some would say so yes,” Dean takes another sip of his whiskey watching Cas closely. Castiel stares right back and subconsciously tilts his head. He admits he’s never heard Deans music before but that’s not much of a surprise when he’s been living on the ranch the last six years without much interaction outside of Okarche. The two make small talk about his music and band, periodically some people would stop by to say thanks to Dean or ask for his autograph. Cas watches with a small smile on his face at how good Dean is with his fans. He’s always polite and asks them questions right back. Two young women come up to him at one point and Dean gives them both a hug before wishing them luck with their relationship. The two walk away holding hands and giggling a little bit. Cathy comes over at one point telling them she’s getting ready to close shop for the night. Castiel hadn’t realized how long they were sitting there for. Dean looks slightly disappointed like he didn’t want to leave quite yet.

“Well Cas, it’s been great talking with you tonight. I gotta find a place to stay though and take a shower so I think I’m going to head out,” Dean says finishing off his drink and standing up. Castiel’s heart sinks at the thought of Dean leaving.

“Wait, where are you going to stay? The nearest hotel is in the city.” He speaks up before he can stop himself.

Dean pauses and thinks to himself a minute before a slight grimace appears on his face, “Damn, I know it’s not far, but I don’t really want to spend an over an hour searching for a place there. I guess it beats sleeping in my car though. Alright, well thanks for tonight Cas, I had fun.”

He starts walking away and there is nothing Castiel could do to stop his next words, “Come home with me.” Ok so not the best wording based off Deans surprised face, but at least he stopped walking away. Now it’s time for Cas to save this, “I mean, my brothers not home and there’s an extra guest room for you, if you want it. No pressure at all, just thought I’d offer. I totally understand though if you don’t want to. I mean it’s kind of strange to just go home with a random stranger, and even stranger to invite a random stranger to stay at your place. Never mind this whole thing was dumb.”

Castiel quickly looks towards his feet trying desperately to hide his severe blush from the world. He really thought that something might have happened with Dean with all the tension between them, but as the night progressed and they started talking some of the initial heat disappeared. They talked and acted like old friends instead of two people looking for some sex and company for a night. If Dean was up for it still, Castiel wouldn’t turn him down that’s for sure, but Dean might still choose to leave for the city instead. Several seconds pass with silence between them. It gets to the point where Cas thinks Dean has ran away trying to get away from him. At some point he gets the courage to look up to check if the green-eyed man is still in front of him. To his surprise, Dean is still there staring at him with a small smile playing on his lips. Castiel can’t quite read his expression and is very confused about why Dean is still there. Then Dean steps forward and puts a comforting hand on Cas’s shoulder.

“Cas man, that would be awesome if I could crash at your place. As long as it’s no problem for you,” Castiel can’t quite make sense of the words. Dean wants to stay with him? Ok he can work with that. He has to answer Dean though.

“Yes of course, not a problem at all. It’s about a ten-minute drive from here. My truck is out front if you just want to follow me?”

“Lead the way kind sir,” Dean says with a tired smile on his face, probably no sex then if Dean is tired, but the company is still welcomed. Castiel grabs his hat from the bar, putting it back on, and walking towards the parking lot with a smile on his face. He sees Dean go to a gorgeous black car that probably looks way more impressive in the daylight but still is very impressive. Cas hops into his truck and starts her up. With Dean behind him he leads the way to the ranch. The whole way he tries to contain his nerves, he knows nothing is going to happen, he’s just helping a friend out for the night. Can he call Dean a friend? They had just met but he’s the first one to not be turned off by his awkwardness. That counts as a win in his book. A small smile finds its way to his face and before he knows it they’re pulling up in front of the house. He hops out of his truck after parking and waits for Dean before walking up the porch.

“So, it’s not much but there is a shower and a bed,” He says nervously.

“Thanks again Cas, this is awesome.”

“Of course,” Castiel turns on the light by the door, removing his hat and boots before continuing into the kitchen. “Are you hungry at all? I’m sure there’s something here if you want it.”

“I actually ate back at the bar before you got there, but could I possibly trouble you for a glass of water? Whiskey is good and all, but water usually helps after singing for two hours,” Dean says with a quite chuckle. Castiel turns back around to find Dean leaning in the door frame looking all kinds of attractive. It’s really not fair how gorgeous the guy is. Quickly Cas busies himself with filling two glasses before setting them down on the table. Dean sits down in the chair across from him and takes a sip, never breaking eye contact. The heat on Cas’s cheeks seems to intensify the longer the two stare at each other. Eventually Dean seems to break the trance by clearing his throat and leaning back in his chair.

“So, tell me a little bit about yourself Cas.”

“Me? Why would you want to know about me?” Usually no one asks Cas about himself, everyone here knows everyone and not much goes on in their small town.

Dean looks at him for a moment as if trying to see right through him. Castiel isn’t used to being on this side of a stare, he’s usually the one doing the staring and people call him creepy. With Dean it doesn’t seem all that creepy though, it’s almost comforting. Dean hasn’t mentioned that it creeps him out that Cas stares either so that he counts that as another win.

“You just invited a complete stranger into your home, which is quite remote by the way, and you’ve only known him for a few hours. Most normal people don’t do that unless they are psychopaths or serial killers. I’m really hoping you’re just a nice guy and you’re not planning on murdering me,” Dean says eventually.

With a slight huff of breath Castiel looks back at the man across from him with a slightly challenging look, “Most people say I’m not normal and I am creepy so what makes you so sure that I’m not planning on murdering you while you sleep tonight?”

A small smirk appears on Dean’s face, “A serial killer wouldn’t have told me that with enough time to run. So, I’m going with you’re a nice guy.”

Cas feels a small smile pull at his lips, “Well you’re right, I’m not planning on murdering you, so I hope you won’t murder me either.”

“Nah I like you too much to do that,” an easy smile finds its way to Deans face and Cas can feel the heat return to his cheeks. “But you have completely avoided the earlier topic.”

Castiel tilts his head in confusion, he doesn’t remember exactly what they were talking about before serial killers came up. Dean chuckles a little looking at him with that same happy smile.

“Tell me about yourself dude. I know we talked a little bit back at the bar, but I feel like I talked about myself the whole time or other people were there.”

“Oh, well you’re quite an interesting man Dean. There’s not much to tell about me. Grew up here, left for college, graduated, and then someone vandalized the ranch six years ago and my brother called me back for help. Been here ever since taking care of the place. Nothing interesting I’m afraid to say, life is quite boring here, but it is mine,” Castiel admits. He does love his life but there’s no real adventure, besides his morning rides with Hannah.

“Where’d you go to college?”

“Purdue.”

Dean lets out a low whistle, “So you’re like super smart then, that’s awesome man. What’d you major in?”

“I got my masters in elementary and special education actually,” Cas states with a little pride in his voice. He is proud of his college years and how he graduated in the top of his class. There is a part of him that would actually like to put his degree to use but his home is here and there’s no need for another teacher at the school in town.

“That’s awesome, my little brother got his undergrad in law at Stanford. When the band backs off on touring he’s planning on going back to get his masters.” There’s pride in Dean’s voice and it’s easy to tell that he and his brother are pretty close.

Castiel sees this as the perfect moment to turn the conversation off him, “So your brother is in the band with you then?”

Dean’s face visibly brightens when he talks about his brother and band. He tells Castiel all about how the band started with just a few of his friends, which are basically family at this point, and how a record company liked what they heard and picked them up about seven years ago. Then before they knew it, Between the Demons and Me, took off and their fans loved it. Several number one hits, and they’ve been touring for the last five years, selling out almost every one of their shows. Castiel is quite impressed with how far the band has come in such a short amount of time. He’s also slightly jealous of all the traveling Dean gets to do, Castiel would love for the opportunity to travel across the country. After about another hour of getting to know each other Dean lets out a huge yawn and finishes his water.

“I hate to cut this short, I really have loved getting to know you more Cas, but I’ve been on the road all day and am pretty tired,” Dean looks truly sad that he’s ending their conversation but looking at the clock, Cas can see its well past midnight and he has to be up in less than five hours. Time really does fly by when you’re enjoying company.

“Right, not a problem. I have to be up in a few hours anyways to take care of the animals,” He stands up and takes their glasses to the sink.

“Oh, I’m sorry man, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.” Dean quickly starts to apologize.

“Dean. Its ok really, I enjoyed out conversation. It’s been awhile since I’ve talked to someone new, it was nice.” Castiel says honestly with a small smile. Dean returns the smile and they both head down the hall to the stairs. At the top Cas opens the first door on the left for Dean.

“Right so here’s the guest room you’re welcome to use it. The bathroom is down the hall, last door on the right, towels are under the sink. And my room is right across the hall so if you need anything don’t hesitate to come get me,” Castiel explains the layout. “I will be up early, but coffee will be ready downstairs and help yourself to any food you find.”

Dean walks into the room instantly flopping onto the bed back first. His shirt rode up slightly, revealing a thin strip of smooth tan skin right above his waistband. Cas swallows down the groan threatening to escape. He turns his head away attempting not to stare like he normally finds himself doing. “Cas this is awesome.”

By the time Cas looks back at Dean he is sitting on the edge of the bed watching him. Suddenly he gets the urge to walk over to Dean and kiss him, quickly that feeling gets pushed down and Castiel chokes out, “Of course, well have a goodnight Dean.”

“Yeah you too Cas.”

Castiel turns away and walks across the hall to his room, quickly closing his door and leaning against it. Letting out a breath he slowly slides down until he is sitting on the floor. He tries to go back and figure out how all of this had happened. Just this morning he was out on his usual ride on a typical Thursday morning. And now he has, easily the most gorgeous man he has ever laid eyes on staying in his guest room not even five feet away from him. What was Castiel thinking? Dean is leaving in the morning and they will probably never see each other again. With a groan Castiel gets up from the floor and starts to strip down to his boxers. He finds a tee shirt to sleep in then quietly crawls into bed. He can hear Dean in the bathroom and a few minutes later he hears the door across the hall shutting. Castiel attempts to fall asleep but it doesn’t come very easily. Eventually Cas’s eyes fall shut and he goes into a restless sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's not quite ready to say goodbye to his new friend, luckily Cas isn't either. Short road trip!

Warm sunlight on his face brings Dean slowly into consciousness. He blinks open his eyes and takes in his surroundings. Slightly confused since the bed is way comfier than a normal motel and there’s no sounds of traffic outside the window. Slowly the events of the previous night come back to him. Singing at the bar, talking to Cas, going home with Cas but not to sleep with him. All they did was talk and it was really nice, its been awhile since Dean has had a decent conversation with someone outside of the band and his family. A small smile makes its way to his face. He really enjoyed talking with Cas and is honestly really glad he didn’t add the awkwardness of sleeping with him or even making a move. Probably wouldn’t have been unwelcomed but the more they talked the more Dean just wanted to get to know the guy. Speaking of which he should probably get up and find the kind man who welcomed him into his home.

Dean sits up and swings his legs off the side of the bed quickly finding his bag in the corner. He digs through for some essentials before he pads over to the bathroom down the hall and finds towels under the sink, just like Cas said they’d be. After a quick shower Dean gets dressed in a fresh pair of clothes and heads down the stairs. In the kitchen he finds a pot of coffee still slightly warm with a mug sitting next to it waiting for him. Another small smile finds its way to his face as he pours himself a cup then places it in the microwave to heat up. He takes a small sip and groans in appreciation of some really good coffee. Dean takes the coffee and heads out the front door in search of Cas.

Once he steps foot out on to the porch he takes in the view around him, he didn’t get much of a chance last night in the dark. Its flat of course, much like the rest of the mid-west but the property is gorgeous. A big barn sits a little way away from the house but is a beautiful rustic red color. Just past the barn are several pastures where Dean can see several horses and cows grazing. A chicken coop sits to the side of the barn where a very curious dog is sniffing at the chickens closest to the fenced wall. Dean can’t help but smile at what he sees, he has always loved the ranch life surrounded by animals and the outdoors. He loves how much work has to be put in for a ranch to work too, you always feel accomplished when the days chores are over, and you can enjoy the animals and the property. Dean spent time helping at a ranch when he was younger and now spends a day or two at a ranch on the other side of Oklahoma City during his trips. A beautiful black horse catches his eye in one of the nearby pastures, so Dean finishes his coffee and leaves the mug on the porch steps as he heads towards the horse.

Dean reaches the fence line and looks out at the horse about twenty feet away. The horse really is beautiful, covered in jet black hair with a full silky mane and tail. From closer up Dean can tell the horse is a female and on the smaller size, it’s possible she’s still young. Somehow, he manages to get her attention and she looks at him for a few moments before going back to eating the grass. He hears before he sees another horse come up behind him. Dean turns around to see another beautiful horse with a rich brown colored coat and a lighter colored mane and tail. What really catches Dean’s eye though is the man on top. Castiel sits on the horse like he was born for it, he looks comfortable and hot as hell with the same cowboy hat he had on the night before. 

“Hello Dean,” Castiel says as he climbs off the horse and those two words in that gravelly voice sends shivers down his back.

“Morning Cas,” He replies, “You have some really beautiful horses here.”

“Thank you,” Cas gives his horse an affectionate stroke down her neck, “Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you again for offering your home like that,” Dean replies with a small smile that Cas returns.

“It really was no bother, it’s nice to have some company for once. I can only stand my brother for so long.”

A small laugh escapes Dean when he thinks about being with Sammy basically 24/7 majority of the year, “Yeah I can understand that.”

Castiel starts to lead his horse to the barn and Dean just follows behind. It gives him a chance to observe the horse some more, and the rider of course. He can’t help but appreciate the back side of the man. As soon as the thoughts go through his head Dean chastises himself. He can’t be having these thoughts about Cas after the kindness he showed him and honestly, they still don’t even know all that much about each other. Besides Cas has done more than enough for him and Dean should really start thinking about getting out of the man’s way and continue on his trip. If Dean really allows himself to think about it though, he doesn’t want to leave the company of the man quite yet and that kind of scares him. How has he taken so quickly with this stranger? He feels more comfortable around Cas than he does around some people he’s known for years, he’s told the guy somethings he hasn’t told some of his closest friends. They haven’t even known each other for a whole twenty-four hours yet either.

“Dean?” Cas’s voice brings him out of his inner turmoil. Looking up he notices Cas has already put his horse back into its stall and now looking at him expectantly. 

“Sorry got caught up in my thoughts for a little bit. Well I should probably go get my stuff and get out of your way,” he says a bit awkwardly. A flash of something crosses the other man’s face but is gone so fast Dean almost wonders if he imagined it.

“Oh, of course you probably have somewhere to be.” There’s something in Castiel’s tone that twists Dean the wrong way. All of a sudden their easy atmosphere had gone tense and Dean’s not sure how to fix it. Instead he follows the other man back to the house and he goes to the spare room to grab his duffel. He takes a moment to steal himself, so he can say goodbye to the kind blue-eyed stranger that took him in for the night. Because that’s all Castiel really is, a kind stranger helping out another stranger, but probably wants to get back to his normal life. With a sigh, Dean walks out the bedroom and heads back down the stairs. He finds Cas in the kitchen holding a mug of coffee to his chest. Dean is about to say his goodbyes when he’s interrupted.

“Dean at least stay for breakfast.” Castiel doesn’t quite meet his eyes for some reason, “I mean I know you’re just going to the city but that’s a long drive on an empty stomach. I guess there are places to stop along the way, never mind forget it you probably want to be on your way anyways.”

It takes a moment for Dean to process Cas’ words. He wants Dean to stay? “Cas I’d love to have breakfast with you if its not a problem for you.”

A bright smile finds its way to the man’s face, “I wouldn’t have offered if it was a problem. Sit, I’ll make something for us.” 

So, Dean does as he’s told and sits at the table watching Castiel move around the kitchen grabbing everything he needs. About fifth teen minutes later and Dean has a plate full of chocolate chip pancakes, because Cas was feeling fancy, and bacon. The pancakes just about melt in his mouth when he takes a bite and he lets Cas know just how yummy they are by releasing a loud moan. A slight pink tint makes its way to Cas’ cheeks, so Dean just sends him a wink and digs in to the rest of his meal. They make some more small talk while they eat. Dean asks about the horses and other animals and Cas is happy to answer any questions he asks, especially about bees. They spend about ten minutes when they finish they’re food just talking about bees and honey. Dean can’t get enough of the happy smile or the way Cas’ face lights up when talking about the farm. Before he’s ready silence falls over them and Dean realizes its time for him to go. Once again that feeling of dread from leaving the blue-eyed man behind hits him and he really doesn’t want to leave. That’s when he gets the idea.

“Hey Cas, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“I just have to do a few things around the farm tonight once the animals are done grazing but that’s about it,” He replies with that adorable head tilt.

“Would you possibly want to take a trip to the city with me? I can bring you back tonight in time for the things you need to do, but man I’ve loved hanging out with you and I’m in the area all day anyways. Thought it might be fun if you joined me?” Dean asks quite nervous all of a sudden.

“You want me to come with you?”

“Yeah of course, I enjoy your company and the places I want to go to are more fun when you’re with someone else. I mean no pressure if you don’t want to,” He trails off.

A smile breaks across Castiel’s face, “I’d love to Dean.” With a sigh of relief Dean helps wash the dishes then the two of them head out to the impala.

“Cas, this is my baby. Baby meet Cas.”

“She’s really beautiful Dean. I didn’t get the chance to really appreciate her last night.” Dean can’t help the little flutter in his heart at hearing the other man’s words. They climb in and head towards the city with Led Zeppelin quietly playing in the background. They make light conversation the whole way and time flies by. Before Dean knows it, they’re pulling into the city and he heads to their first stop. He starts to become a little nervous, he hopes Cas won’t judge him for the places he’s planning on going to. They pull into the parking lot of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and Dean shuts the car off before risking a glance in Castiel’s direction. To his surprise he only finds curiosity and excitement in the other man’s face.

“I haven’t been here since I was a kid. I wonder how much has changed since then,” Cas explains with a smile on his face.

Dean can’t help but return the smile, “Come on, let’s go.”

\---------------------------------------

The two men walk through the parking lot to the entrance, their arms brushing every now and then with how close they are walking. Castiel tries not to let it affect him, but his breath does hitch at the contact. He just hopes Dean doesn’t notice. Once inside Dean pays for their tickets before Cas can protest, the other man sends him a look saying don’t-argue-just-accept-it. Cas smiles gratefully and then they wander through the museum. He doesn’t remember too much from when he was a kid, but history has always been his favorite. Some exhibits have life size figurines where others have old artifacts. They pause at a video describing how the people on this land lived over a hundred years ago. He can’t help the smile that stays on his face the whole time they’re there. What really amazes Cas is when Dean gives extra little fun facts about some of the old cowboy stuff. Its clear that he truly does enjoy the history and stories behind each exhibit. Cas is so surprised by the knowledge that Dean has that he can’t help but ask where he learned it all from.

“I’ve been coming here for years now and they always have new things, so I’m never bored. History and cowboys have always been something I’m interested in. Ever since I would watch hours and hours of old western films in hotel rooms growing up since it was the only thing on usually. It just grew over time and I never get the chance to share any of it unless I’m on this trip,” Dean replies looking a little embarrassed.

“I think its wonderful that you have something you’re so passionate about and can experience like this,” Cas says honestly trying to figure out why Dean would ever feel embarrassed about something like this.”

“Thanks Cas, that means a lot. It’s nice to be able to share this with someone and actually talk about it. Usually most people see me as the dumb rockstar that only knows music,” Dean says with a small chuckle.

“Why would anyone think that? You know so much about western history that I’ve learned more from you than I did in this whole museum,” Cas can’t understand how anyone could find Dean dumb.

Dean hesitates before answering Cas, “No one knows I secretly love history and this stuff. The only people I talk to are the members of my band usually and we don’t talk about any of this stuff. I mean most of them are geniuses and they have conversations about politics, but I tend to not participate. I like to have my secrets which is why none of them know what I do on this road trip I do each year.”

“Well I’m honored to be here with you and know that you are secretly a huge history nerd,” Castiel says in a lighter tone.

“Yeah well don’t go telling the press now that you know the deepest darkest secret of Dean Winchester,” He replies with an easy grin back on his face.

“My lips are sealed.” 

Both men are smiling as they head out the exit towards Baby. They get in and Dean starts driving. Cas doesn’t bother asking where they’re going because he finds he really doesn’t care as long as he gets some more time with Dean. The drive is only about 15 minutes before they’re next stop. When Dean finally parks the car Castiel is speechless. He can’t believe Dean would take them to the botanical gardens. If there is any place in the city that Cas loves to go is here. Surrounded by plants in the warm humid air, he finds peace and is able to relax for a while. A quiet chuckle causes him to turn to look at Dean.

“I take it you like this place?” He asks with the most beautiful smile Cas has ever seen on his face.

“This is my favorite spot in the entire city.”

“Well then, lets go!” Dean gets out of the car waiting for Cas to follow. Once they’re walking towards the entrance Dean bumps his shoulder smiling at him again. Castiel manages to pay the entrance fee this time and they soon find themselves immersed in the land of plants. It doesn’t take long for everyone else to fade to the background. All Cas can see is green everywhere. He turns to look back at Dean and is stuck at just how green his eyes are. The green around them just causes his eyes to be even more green and it doesn’t take long for Cas to find his favorite shade of green. Castiel is so mesmerized he doesn’t even realize Dean is talking to him until a hand waves in front of his face. With a few blinks Cas eventually breaks the spell and looks at Dean with a slight head tilt. Dean just smiles back and then leads him along the path with a gentle hand resting on the small of his back. Castiel can feel the warmth spread up his back to his neck and prays he doesn’t start blushing. 

They spend over two hours wondering the gardens. The glass enclosure is Castiel’s favorite since it feels like he’s in his own little bubble away from the outside world. He returns the favor of offering little fun facts about some plants to Dean and loves the way Dean listens to every word. Dean even starts to ask questions about specific plants and they fall into easy conversation. By the time they leave Castiel is happily relaxed and he can tell Dean is feeling about the same. They get back to the car and see its well past lunch time. Cas directs Dean to his favorite burger place for a quick meal before they head back to the farm. While waiting for their food Dean asks about Cas again.

“So, you live on the farm with your brother?”

“Yes, it’s the family farm. Been that way for the last three generations,” Castiel replies taking a sip of his lemonade. 

“That’s gotta be nice to be so close to him. Sounds like you two get along, well right?” 

“It can be. We argue every now and then but for the most part everything runs smoothly. Kali is there most of the time anyways, unless they’re at her place.”

“Kali is your brother’s girlfriend?” Dean asks.

“Soon to be fiancé if everything works out,” Cas says proudly. He loves Kali and knows she’s good at keeping Gabriel under control. He never thought his brother would be the one to settle down and live the apple pie life. Gorgeous wife, kids, dog, big house complete with the white picket fence. Kali will move into the house completely soon enough and then they will start to plan their family. The conversation with Gabe the day before comes rushing back. His brother told him he should leave and start his life because Gabe is ready to start his new one. Castiel will eventually get in the way and end up being the lame brother that won’t move out. That thought causes Cas’ mood to do a complete 180 and his smile falls from his face.

A look of confusion takes over Dean’s, “Hey you alright man?”

Cas shakes himself out of his downward spiral and pastes the most convincing smile he can on his face, “Yes everything is ok, just remembered some paperwork Gabe asked me to do for the farm.”

The lie comes easy which just makes Castiel feel worse. They manage to keep a lighter conversation going about their brothers and their significant others until their burgers arrive. The second the plates are set down both men dig in. It doesn’t take long for Cas to forget the reason his mood turned south. Dean ends up paying for their meal since the ticket came while Castiel was in the bathroom. They load back up in the car and Dean takes them back to the farm. They listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd on the drive and Cas can’t help but think that Dean sounded better the night before. With the windows down, they’re able to enjoy the wind blowing through their hair. As they pull up in front of the house silence falls over the car. Neither one wants to break the moment and admit their time together is done.

“Do you want to stay for dinner and another night?” Cas asks hesitantly.

“I’m sorry Cas. I wish I could, I’ve had way more fun today than I have in a while, but I do need to continue my trip if I want to make it to South Dakota in two weeks,” Cas can see the dread on Dean’s face and knows that the man really doesn’t want to go quite yet.

“Of course, well at least come in for some lemonade before you hit the road,” He pastes on a smile trying to convince them both its ok. Reluctantly they both get out of the Impala and want to the front porch. Dean goes up to the spare room to grab his stuff while Castiel walks into the kitchen. He grabs two glasses and fills them with ice and the lemonade from the fridge. Once Dean come down the stairs with his duffle in one hand and a sad smile on his face, the two men go to the back porch to enjoy the afternoon sun. From the back of the house you can see the rest of the property stretching miles back with livestock roaming around. Not too far away from the porch Cas keeps his hives and he can hear them happily buzzing about.

“You keep bees here too?” Dean asks.

Cas looks over at him with a genuine smile, “They’re my guilty pleasure. Always have loved bees and here I have the opportunity to raise them and sell their honey for a profit.”

Dean looks impressed as he keeps sipping at his drink. Before either one of them know it their drinks are empty and Dean is heading towards the door. He grabs his duffle and walks out of the house with Cas right behind them. As they off the porch Castiel can see his brothers truck pull up and he can start to feel the panic rise in his chest. He was really hoping to avoid Gabe seeing Dean, so he didn’t have to answer the thousand questions he knows will be asked. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be avoidable as Gabe gets out of the car and eyes Dean wearily.

“Who the hell are you?” Gabe demands. Dean shoots Cas a panicked look, in return he just rolls his eyes and sets a glare in Gabe’s direction. For being as short as he is Gabe can be kind of intimidating when he wants to be.

“Gabriel stop, this is Dean. There’s no need to freak out, he was just leaving anyways,” Cas says trying to get his brother to shut up.

“Dean? Why do you look familiar?” Gabe questions.

“Uh…” Dean hesitates not knowing what to say. Suddenly Gabe snaps his fingers and a bright grin takes over his face.

“You’re Dean Winchester! From that band! Uh… Between the Demons and Me! Right? You’re the pretty boy lead singer, my girlfriend loves your music by the way,” Cas feels his face burning from embarrassment. Dean probably will never want to see him again after this. Not like they would have the chance anyways but now its for sure not happening. “What the hell are you doing on our little family farm in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma?” 

“Well, I got lost with the highway closed and ended up at a nice little bar that needed a singer, so I offered to fill in. Then Cas here offered me a place to stay for the night,” Dean says nervously looking back and forth between the two brothers. 

“Stay the night huh?” Gabe looks over to Cas with a smirk on his face. A groan escapes Castiel as he glares at his brother. 

Before Gabe can say anything else Cas interrupts, “Yes well like I said, Dean was just leaving so why don’t you go inside and work on that paperwork we have to do.”

He can see Gabe start to protests, but with one last death glare he mumbles a good bye and walks into the house. Cas lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. He can feel Dean standing behind him, but he’s not sure he can face him quite yet. A gentle hand lands on his shoulder and turns him slowly to face the other man.

“Hey thank you Cas. For everything. The room, today, it was great,” Dean says, and Cas can tell he really means it. “I really don’t want to go, but I do need to. Maybe I’ll see you again?”

“Yeah sure, if you’re ever in town feel free to stop by,” Cas says with a small smile and a flicker of hope.

“I will,” there’s so much determination in his voice Cas almost believes him.

With that Cas watches Dean put his duffle in the trunk of the Impala then gets in the driver’s seat. The beautiful purr of the engine fills the open air and with one last smile Dean pulls away. Cas stands there with his hand up in a small wave until the Impala and its beautiful passenger are out of sight. With a resigned sigh Cas turns back towards the house and braces himself for more questioning from his brother.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Dean leaves, Cas goes back to his everyday life. Until he gets a surprise in the mail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all Cas point of view! I'm finally making some headway on the other chapters. I was struggling on one of them for the longest time, but I think I got it to a place that I'm happy with. Enjoy!! I'll try to get the rest out as soon as I can!

It has been less than a week since Dean drove away from Castiel and the ranch. Life went on as it always had. Castiel took care of the animals, checked on his bees, and hung out with his brother. Of course, the minute Cas had stepped back into the house that night Gabriel had a lot of question. Cas tried to answer them all, but he really didn’t want to talk about it. Luckily it didn’t take long for Gabe to pick up on that and let the subject drop. If you were to ask Castiel why he didn’t seem to enjoy the simple tasks of running the farm as much as he use to he wouldn’t be able to give you a reasonable excuse. Because spending less than 24 hours with someone you hardly know shouldn’t affect you at all. He can’t seem to figure out why Dean leaving has caused a huge hole in his life to be formed. Each day it gets better, but then small things will remind him of the green-eyed man and dampen his mood.

Thursday night comes around finally, so Cas does one more round of checking the animals before going in for a shower. He changes into a comfortable pair of jeans and a plain white button down. His hat hangs on the hook by the door with his boots sitting below. With a quick goodbye to Gabriel he heads over to the bar for some live music. When he walks into the bar and sees his barstool unoccupied he can’t help the slight pang of hurt that goes through him. Cas quickly chastises himself for even heaving a little hope that Dean would be sitting there like he was a week ago. With a sigh Castiel walks over and takes a seat. Moments later Kate comes over with a bright smile on her face.

“Hey there Castiel, want your usual?” She asks. He answers with a nod and a small smile of his own. Thursday nights are always his favorite, he shouldn’t let the last week ruin that for him. With that he is determined to enjoy the music and lemonade like he always does. “Here you go.”

Castiel thanks her again and takes a sip of the refreshing beverage. He takes the time to look around the bar and sees the usual crowd. There’s a group of about five high schoolers over by the stage with various instruments. He can recognize a cello and violin which peeks his interest a little bit. It’s rare that they get a sting group to play for the bar. Castiel can’t help but be a little thankful that it’s not a rock group to remind him of Dean. As more time goes by the bar fills a little bit more and the musical group looks about ready to start. Once the music starts Cas finds it easier to relax and enjoy his drink. Before he knows it, he stops thinking about Dean and his classic rock music. Instead his whole focus is on the five musicians performing on stage. There’s just something so calming about string instruments that lures you into a relaxed mood without even trying. It’s about an hour later the band takes a five-minute water break and Castiel finds a fresh glass of lemonade next to him.

“So Castiel, I have got to ask. What happened when you and Dean left here last week?” Kate asks him and just like that his stomach plummets.

“We just went to my place, he slept in the guest room, we had coffee in the morning, and then he left.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but Cas didn’t feel like taking a trip down memory lane.

“Huh,” a look of disappointment crosses over her face, “With the way you two acted while you were here I assumed y’all would’ve hooked up.”

Castiel tries to laugh it off but even to him it sounds strained. Kate must’ve caught it though and soon sends him a more sympathetic look. He quickly looks away and is thankful when the music starts back up giving him an excuse to not talk anymore. Instead of sticking around for a little while when the music ends like he normally does, Castiel walks back to his truck and heads home exhausted. Ever since Kate’s innocent comment Dean plagues his thoughts once again. When the familiar house comes into view and he notices Gabe’s truck gone he lets out a sigh of relief. The last thing he needs right now is a nosy brother asking him questions he doesn’t have answers for. After a quick check on the barn Cas grabs a glass of water and heads to his room. It takes mere seconds after his head hits the pillow for him to fall into a restless sleep.

The next day starts the same as it always does. He gets up, makes some coffee, then sits on the front porch looking out into the quite morning. Once the coffee is gone he goes about his morning chores. Chickens, bees, horses, and the fields. Hannah and him go out on their morning ride like they always do. The wind blowing by ad they ride brings a smile to his face. They do their normal loop around the property then head back to the barn. After a quick brush down, Cas lets her out into the fields with the other horses for the day. On his way back to the house he notices Gabe’s truck is back. With a small sigh Castiel walks in and heads straight for the kitchen. He needs food before dealing with Gabe this morning. Luckily, he is able to finish his food before Gabe comes out from their small office.

“Hey Cassie, this came in the mail for you,” Gabe says slightly hesitant as he slides what looks like a postcard over the table. It turns out to be a postcard from a botanical garden in Dallas, Texas. Cas looks at it confused as to why he would one, get something in the mail that’s not a bill, and two, a postcard from Dallas. He flips it around to see who sent it and is shocked to see its from Dean with a little message written.

**“Drove by a sign advertising this place on my way into town and couldn’t help but stop. -Dean”**

Dean had gone to a botanical garden in Dallas and thought of him enough to send him a postcard. A small smile makes it to his face along with a light blush. He reads the words another three times and looks at the beautiful picture of the gardens. When he flips back over to the message its only then that he notices the small bee drawing in the corner. It’s just a little cartoon bee but Cas’ smile just grows even more. He looks up at Gabriel and his smile immediately falls. Gabe is glaring down at him with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Cassie, what happened when that guy was here? You’ve been moping around the last week, no don’t interrupt me, then out of nowhere the guy sends you a postcard and you’re all smiles. Did you guys hook up?” Gabe asks throwing his arms down in an exasperated movement.

“No!” Cas exclaims, “We did not hook up. He needed a place to stay so I offered him the guest room and he accepted.”

“Yes, I know you’ve told me that part already,” his brother says with a roll of his eyes, “I don’t get why its had such a big affect on you if that was all it was.”

Castiel sighs not quite knowing how to answer because he himself doesn’t know why the other man has affected him this much. With nothing to lose he tells his brother everything. How Dean is the most beautiful human Cas has ever seen and how his smile causes Cas’ heart to skip a beat. How effortlessly he can sing any song and play the guitar. How they spent hours just talking and learning about the other. About their trip to the city and how Dean had been so cute spurting random facts while at the museum and how he didn’t make fun of Cas when he did the same thing with the flowers and bees.

“Gabe he was just so easy to talk to. It was never awkward, and you know how hard it is for me to not be awkward. He didn’t think I was weird or anything, he accepted me for me and wanted to know more about me. Then he left, and I didn’t think it would affect me, but here we are,” Cas trails off bowing his head embarrassed. He feels a gentle hand on his shoulder and he looks up to see a sympathetic look on his brothers face again.

“Oh Cassie, you can’t go falling for the first pretty face that comes into this town,” Cas goes to argue but Gabe holds up a hand to silence him. “But I understand. He took you out of this town, even if it was just to the city, but it was new and adventurous for you. Which is what you have always wanted until I dragged you back here.”

Castiel just rolls his eyes not wanting to get into another argument about him leaving the farm and starting his own life somewhere. “Gabe we’ve talked about this, my life is here. I don’t need to go out having adventures or whatever. I’m happy here.”

“Are you?” Cas looks up at the sad town in Gabe’s voice. “Cassie, I haven’t seen you smile like you did just reading that post card in months. The last time was when we got more bees and you couldn’t wait to set up the hives. You may be content here but just think about happy you could be out in the world going to botanical gardens in every state. I just want to see you happy, baby bro.”

With that said Gabriel walks out the front door and heads for the barn to do the things he needs to do. Castiel sits in the kitchen chair staring at the postcard and thinking about what Gabe had said. Is he really not happy? Of course, he is. He has his horse, his bees, his brother, the farm, some friends in town. He’s happy with his life here even if Gabe can’t see it. Castiel sits there for a few minutes before he goes upstairs to shower off the morning sweat and stink from the farm. He gently places the postcard on his dresser wishing he had a way to thank Dean or something. With a sigh Castiel goes about his normal routine for the rest of the day. Before he goes to bed he reads Dean’s words one more time before falling asleep with a smile on his face.

The days go by and with almost each one a new postcard came from a different city or state.

Shreveport, Louisiana: **“One of my bandmate’s family owns a restaurant here and they make some of the best food you will ever taste. I’ll take you sometime. -Dean”**

Memphis, Tennessee: The statue of Elvis, **“Gotta love Elvis. Went to the Rock and Soul Museum. I would’ve talked your ear off about random music facts. -Dean”**

Nashville, Tennessee: The Musicians Hall of Fame, **“Bought a cowboy hat today. I like yours better. You totally rock the whole cowboy look. -Dean”**

Bowling Green, Kentucky: The National Corvette Museum, **“They got some damn good lookin cars here, but my Baby is still better. -Dean”**

Winchester, Kentucky: **“Drove through and thought you’d like to know I’m famous enough for a town to be named after me. -Dean”**

Washington D.C.: The White House, **“Never been a fan of politics or anything like that, but this city has got some awesome museums you would love. -Dean”**

New York City, New York: Times square, **“Worst decision ever to stop in a big city. So many fans. I want the small town of Okarche back. -Dean”**

Boston, Massachusetts: The statue of Paul Revere, **“One of my all time favorite cities. I’m bringing you here some time. -Dean”**

Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University, **“I was expecting a huge poster that said ‘Castiel graduated from here’ I’m pretty disappointed in this college for not honoring you. -Dean”**

Chicago, Illinois: The giant bean, **“Never really knew what this bean meant, but its fun to look at. You probably know what its for, seems like something you would know. -Dean”**

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: **“Finished my trip safely. Hanging with some family for a week or so before getting back into the studio. Take care Cas. -Dean”**

Each one with a little bee drawing in the corner. Castiel took to writing the date on each one he received to be able to piece together Deans trip. He found a box after about the fourth postcard to keep them all safely hidden away. Every night before bed he reads them, so he can fall asleep with a smile on his face. It helps to know that Dean thinks about him too and it wasn’t just Cas reading into their interactions too much. When Cas reads the ones of Dean saying he wants to take Cas to some of his favorite places in faraway states his heart flutters at the idea. He knows it won’t ever happen, but a man can dream sometimes. After the postcard from South Dakota they don’t come anymore, which make sense, Dean said his trip is done so he’s not going anywhere else. That doesn’t stop the slight ache whenever he checks the mail and there’s no new postcard. He just reads the ones he has every night and it makes up for it.

Gabriel has hired a ranch hand to help out and learn the ropes of the ranch. So far, the kid, Alfie, has been doing great. He’s good with the horses and even took an interest in Castiel’s bees. With him around Cas hardly has anything to do. Alfie gets there after Cas does the morning work and does everything else for the day until lock up at night. Gabriel takes care of all the paperwork that needs to be done for the ranch leaving nothing else for Castiel. For the first week it was frustrating for Cas, because all the free time gave him more time to think about Dean and visiting all the places he mentioned. Cas ended up taking up the hobby of water coloring to fill all his free time. He’s not the best, but it gives him something to do.

It’s about a month after Dean left that Gabriel finally proposes to Kali. She says yes of course, and they start making plans immediately. When they are both sitting at the kitchen table talking about their future it becomes more of a reality for Castiel. Maybe he should think about moving on in his life. With Alfie doing the work on the farm there’s really no reason for him to be there. The problem is, Cas doesn’t know where he would go. He’s only ever known Okarche and Perdue. The six years of education gave him the masters degree he’s never put to use. He has no experience besides substituting at the local elementary school every now and then. Where would he go? Would he stay in Oklahoma? Maybe the city has some work for him. He knows Gabe wouldn’t kick him out, but he also knows there won’t be much room for him in a year or two.

It starts out as a normal Thursday a couple weeks later. Cas drinks his coffee, does the morning chores and take Hannah out for a ride. When he gets back he sees Alfie already there checking on the horses in the field. Castiel lets Hannah loose to join her friends then heads in the house to find Kali already making breakfast. She is basically fully moved in at this point just waiting for the lease on her place to end the next month. It’s been great having her around. She helps Castiel with the cooking since they both know if they left it up to Gabriel they would be eating some kind of sugar concoction. With a plate full of French toast, bacon, and a full mug of coffee Cas digs in. His brother manages to finally make his way down stairs to the kitchen and gives Kali a quick peck before sitting down with his own plate and mug. Once Castiel finishes his food he starts the dishes, so Kali can have a chance to eat her own food. Castiel then goes about his normal day routine of a shower, read for a little while, check on his bees, and then water color if he feels up to it.

Alfie leaves a little after five so when the clock hits seven Castiel goes for one last check and locks up. He goes to the mail box not expecting anything since they’ve already paid their bills for the month but is surprised to find an envelope addressed to him. With a small frown of confusion, he looks to see who sent him something. He almost drops the letter in surprise when he sees Deans name. Quickly Cas makes his way to the house and stops in the kitchen where Gabe sits on his laptop. With slightly shaking hands he opens the envelope to find three tickets and a letter. Before he can ever process anything, Gabe speaks up.

“What you got there Cassie?”

“It’s from Dean,” He says opening the letter to read first.

**“Cas, I hope you received the postcards and they weren’t unwelcome. (If so feel free to throw this away now.) I couldn’t stop thinking about you the whole time I was traveling. I would see something awesome and turn to tell you, but you weren’t there. So, I did the next best thing I could think of. Anyways, you’re probably wondering why I have sent you another letter. Well let me tell ya. The last few weeks have been chaotic at best. Countless hours in the studio recording out next album and preparing for out upcoming tour. That’s the reason for this letter. I have included three tickets to our first show in Dallas. Its not for another month but I wanted to invite you, your brother and his girlfriend. They are VIP tickets with backstage passes. I would really like to see you again and I hope you feel the same. It would give us a chance to catch up and get to know each other some more. There’s no pressure to come though. I know you are busy with the farm so I will understand. Hope to see you there. -Dean”**

Its complete with a little bee drawing in the corner just like all the postcards. Castiel can feel the smile on his face. Dean wants to see him again. He sent Cas and his family tickets to come see his show. Not just tickets but VIP and back stage passes. Kali is going to freak out when he tells her.

“Well?” His brother interrupts his thoughts.

“Dean has invited us and Kali to his show in Dallas next month with VIP and back stage passes,” Cas says with a smile still on his face.

Kali chose that exact moment to walk into the room, “Did I hear you say VIP and back stage passes? To Dean Winchesters show? The Dean Winchester?”

All Castiel can do is nod his head. Kali basically squeals and hugs Castiel tight before grabbing the tickets.

“Oh, we are so going. Gabriel call Alfie and tell him he has to watch the farm for those days and we will hire on some temporary help too. Also, book us hotel rooms in Dallas since I’m sure its going to be packed soon,” Kali says taking charge of everything. Castiel sits back and watches his brother scramble to do everything his fiancé has told him to do. A smirk replaces his smile and Cas can’t help but think how perfect Kali is for his brother.

After the slight chaos dies down Castiel realizes he was supposed to leave for the bar ten minutes ago. With a quick kiss to Kali’s cheek and a goodbye to Gabe he’s out the door. Even with being late his seat is left open for him. Almost as soon as he sits down a glass of lemonade is set down in front of him. With a smile and thanks to Kate he turns his attention to the band of the week. He thinks about Dean and how he will see him again in a month. Cas never thought he would see the green-eyed man again or that Dean would even want to see him again. Then the postcards came and now the letter. You couldn’t wipe the smile off of Cas’ face even if you tried.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Concert time! Dean's nervous about seeing Cas again, but soon he realizes his nerves were for nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half way done! ish… I originally had this thing at ten chapters but it keeps getting extended. Anyways, theres another song in this chapter. I changed the pronouns to fit the story/relationship and it really is a good song. Its Angle Eyes by The Jeff Healey Band. ( https://genius.com/Jeff-healey-angel-eyes-lyrics ). Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)
> 
> Also this is a chapter with that mild smut I tagged (its towards the end), and I want to apologize again. I really am terrible at writing it, oh well!

There are so many reasons why Dean is so nervous. Its their first show back after almost a three-month break. The band had new music that they are going to perform for their audience. And Cas might be in the crowd. Dean doesn’t know what caused him to send the tickets to him, hell he doesn’t even know why he sent the postcards. Yes, he does. He just doesn’t want to get his hopes up that Cas had actually liked them and agreed to come to the show tonight. Dean really would love to see the blue-eyed cowboy again. Ever since he left that little farm he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the guy. He really hopes Cas is there tonight.

“Are you almost ready Dean?” Charlie asks through the dressing room door. He looks into the mirror and takes a deep breath. He’s ready. Dean walks out the door giving a smile to Charlie and finds the rest of the band by the stage. The crew is just about finish switching sets from the opener to them which means its show time. The lights go out leaving the entire stadium in darkness. The crowd starts to scream knowing what’s coming next. Dean watches his band mates take their places in the dark and once the crowd quiets a little, a single drum beat. Screams fill the air once more as the drum continues. Soon the lights start flashing and the others join in right on que. Then the stage goes silent and dark once more. Dean smiles then makes his way to center stage pumped up on adrenalin. All nerves whipped away from his body with the cheers of the crowd.

The lights come on and the band plays the same song they always do to open a show. Without missing a beat Dean launches into the lyrics. He can hear the crowd singing back to him, so he holds the microphone out during the chorus for them all to sing. Dean turns to look at his band and sees his giant smile is mirror on their faces as well. He joins back in for the next verse and soon the song ends. He takes the mic from the stand and walks out the cat walk a little way to greet the crowd.

“Good evening Dallas!” he’s answered with more screams from the fans, “How are all you doing tonight? We are honored to be here with you guys. Its great to be back on tour with this being our first stop. We spent the last couple months in the studio recording some new songs for all of you. Maybe if you’re lucky we might play one or two tonight. Now why don’t we get some introductions out of the way then we can get to the really good part how does that sound?”

The crowd never stops cheering as he goes around and introduces each band member. They play a few of their most popular songs before playing their first new one. It always amazes Dean how the crowd can recognize a new song so quickly and quiet down, so they can enjoy it and learn it. Pamela had actually written the song before they all joined back together and instantly the band had loved it. Dean hopes the fans love it just as much as they do. If the answering cheers when the song ends is anything to go by then Dean knows that it was a success. Half way through their set they take a break except for Sammy playing an awesome guitar solo. After a few minutes the girls will go out and start a small guitar battle while Sam then takes a break. The crowd loves it and the band members get to show off their skills while the others cool down.

Dean’s nerves start to amp up again as he thinks about one of the songs their playing for the encore. It’s one he wrote while he was on his trip. He ended up writing a ton of songs which was strange since he hadn’t been able to write a single lyric for the last two months of their previous tour. The band just said he needed a break from the music to get his creative mind going again, but he knew better. Inspiration hit the second a blue-eyed cowboy entered his life. That’s why the nerves hit him so hard again. Dean wonders not for the first time if he actually came to the show. There’s only one way to find out. Finish the show and wait back stage. With that final thought Dean runs back out followed by Benny and Sam to join the girls.

Time flies by and before Dean knows it the band is waiting backstage for the cue to go back on for the encore. Dean listens to the roar of the crowd still finding it hard to believe that every single one of those people are there to see them play. They get the go ahead and run out. Dean takes the mic center stage and smiles at the crowd while the others get in position. Sammy starts up the beat and the others join in. It’s one of their more well-known songs so Dean lets the crowd sing the chorus again. He loves every second of it. When the song ends a stage crew member brings out his guitar and a stool for him. Dean adjusts the mic then looks back at his band to make sure everyone is ready. They give him encouraging looks and thumbs up. He has never performed in front of a crowd this big with his guitar and minimal back up, but this song is special.

“Hey everyone, so were going to try something a little different now. This is a new song I wrote on my road trip this year. Its quite special to me and I hope it is to you too.”

 

_**Boy, you're looking fine tonight** _  
_**And everyone has got you in their sight**_  
_**What you're doing with a clown like me**_  
_**Is surely one of life's little mysteries**_

_**So tonight I'll ask the stars above** _  
_**"How did I ever win your love?"**_  
_**What did I do?**_  
_**What did I say**_  
_**To turn your angel eyes my way?**_

 

Flickers of light catches Deans attention. He looks over the crowd and sees they all have their flashlights out waving back and forth. The sight takes Dean’s breath away. Never in all the years have they had their fans do it. Most of their songs aren’t meant for it but the fans chose this song to do it. Dean feels the prick of tears in his eyes watching the sea of light in front of him. With a big smile he blinks away the tears and starts up the next verse.

 

_**Well, I'm the guy who never learned to dance** _  
_**Never even got one second glance**_  
_**Across a crowded room was close enough**_  
_**I could look but I could never touch**_

_**So tonight I'll ask, the stars above** _  
_**"How did I ever win your love?"**_  
_**What did I do?**_  
_**What did I say**_  
_**To turn your angel eyes my way?**_

_**Don't anyone wake me** _  
_**If it's just a dream**_  
_**Cause he's the best thing**_  
_**Ever happened to me**_

_**All you fellows** _  
_**You can look all you like**_  
_**But this guy you see**_  
_**He's leavin' here with me tonight**_

_**There's just one more thing that I need to know** _  
_**If this is love why does it scare me so?**_  
_**It must be somethin' only you can see**_  
_**Cause boy I feel it when you look at me**_

_**So tonight I'll ask the stars above** _  
_**"How did I ever win your love?"**_  
_**What did I do?**_  
_**What did I say**_  
_**To turn your angel eyes my way?**_  
_**Hey, hey, hey, yeah, aww**_

 

With the end of the song the crowd is deafening. All Dean can do is look out in awe at their amazing fans. The lights are still up lighting up the whole stadium. Dean is still sitting on his stool when he feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks up through his bleary eyes to see his brother smiling down at him. Soon Jo is on his other side with Benny and Pam not too far behind. The five of them smile at the crowd soaking in the love. They have one more song to do before they call it a night but none of them want to end this moment quite yet. There’s a signal from Ash saying they need to move along so Dean clears his throat and grabs his mic. Jo takes his guitar back for him while everyone goes back to their spots.

“Wow. That’s all I can say. You guys are amazing. Thank you so much, you have no idea what that meant to me. To us. Now we got one more song for you guys then we gotta call it a night. I know you all know it so sing along, alright here we go!” The band starts right up and they play their hearts out once more for their fans. Before Dean knows it, the song is over, they said their goodbyes, and are now standing backstage. Jess and Andrea are the first ones to join them. They congratulate the band, but all Dean can focus on is the hallway the two women just came out of. As more time goes by the more his stomach sinks. Eventually a beautiful Indian woman comes through the hall way dragging a vaguely familiar looking man behind her. Then there he is right behind the others.

“Cas!” Dean yells before running over to the man and wrapping him into a big hug. He can feel Cas tense up before relaxing and hugging him back.

“Dean,” he can hear the small smile in Cas’ voice and just about melts with that one simple word.

Reluctantly he breaks the hug and steps back a little, “You came.”

“Of course, Dean,” Cas says with a smile, and god damn Dean forgot how blue his eyes were. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Thank you for the tickets too.”

“Oh, it was no big deal, I’m just glad you were able to come,” A throat clears behind Dean and he turns to find his whole band looking at him expectantly. Dean rolls his eyes in return then turns back to Cas, “Come on I’ll introduce you to everyone. So, you got Pamela and Jo over there, don’t worry their barks are worse than their bites, usually. The big grizzly bear there is Benny, he’s more like a teddy bear though, and his beautiful wife Andrea. They have the restaurant in Louisiana I told you about. And then you have Charlie and Ash our computer genius’, we literally would not be able to perform or anything without them. And then the friendly giant with the beautiful blonde on his arm is my brother Sam and his girl, Jess. Everyone this is Castiel, his brother Gabriel, and Gabe’s girlfriend.”

“Fiancé,” Gabe corrects automatically.

Dean brightens with a smile, “Really? That’s awesome congrats! I’m so sorry I don’t remember your name though, sweetheart?”

“I’m Kali,” She says in a smooth tone hiding her nervous excitement well.

“Kali, awesome. I heard you were a fan, I hope you weren’t disappointed.”

“Not one bit. You guys are even more amazing live,” She replies letting herself fangirl a little bit. Once all the introductions are done Kali is immediately sucked into a conversation with Pam and Jo. Gabe talks with Benny and Andrea. Charlie and Ash go off and do their computer thing. Which leaves Sam and Jess to start the lines of questions for Dean and Cas. Dean cringes a little at having forgotten that this would probably happen. He turns towards Cas and offers an apologetic smile. When he gets a familiar confused head tilt in return his heart beats just a little bit faster. God he’s missed this man.

“So, Dean, how do you two know each other?” Sam asks with a smirk on his face. Dean answers with a death glare before letting out a sigh, no point in hiding anything now.

“I made a wrong turn when I was in Oklahoma and ended up in this awesome small town. There was a bar open, so I thought I’d stop for a quick bite and directions. They had a local band that was supposed to perform cancel, so I offered to fill in since I had my guitar with me. Then right as I was supposed to go on this guy walks in and accuses me of not belonging there,” Dean nudges Cas with a teasing smile on his face.

Cas just rolls his eyes then looks at Sam, “He was sitting in my spot and like he said, small town, we don’t get many visitors. Also, I did apologize for coming off as rude.”

Dean can’t help but laugh as Cas defends himself, “I didn’t mind. We got to talking a little bit then I played for a couple hours and we just kept the conversation going until it got really late. There were no motels nearby, so I was just going to sleep in Baby, but Cas was nice enough to offer me his spare room. So, I stay the night then the next day we took a trip into the city. Did some touristy things and I took him back before I took off to here actually.”

“Wait, you guys spent less than 24 hours together?” Sam asks with a disbelieving look on his face. Dean looks at him for a moment then back to Cas and realizes his brother is right. It felt a lot longer when they were actually together.

“Yeah, guess so,” Dean says with a small chuckle.

“It is nice to meet you both though, Dean told me a lot about you,” Cas offers with a smile.

“I like you,” Jess declares then continues to grab Cas’ arm and drag him to the group of women talking. Cas throws a terrified pleading face to Dean as he’s led away but all Dean can do is shrug. Once the girls have him Dean won’t see him for at least twenty minutes. He just hopes they go easy on him. When Dean looks back at Sam he’s greeted with one of his famous bitch faces.

“What Sammy?”

“Who is he?” Sam asks.

Dean looks at him confused, “What do you mean? His names Cas I already told you that.”

“Dean you have never in the five plus years we’ve been doing this invited someone to a show. Then you go and tell me you’ve spent less than 24 hours with the guy in Oklahoma over two months ago?” Sam explains, “So again I’ll ask, who is he?”

With a sigh Dean spares a look over towards Cas and sees him smiling at something Jo said. The sight brings a smile to Dean’s own face. “I don’t know Sammy. I like him. I didn’t even realize it was less than 24 hours until you said something. When I was with him it felt like we’ve known each other for years. He was just so easy to talk to you know?”

Sam’s face softens at Dean’s words, “Yeah Dean I know how that is.”

“I just wanted the chance to see him again, so I thought this would be the best option plus I knew his brother’s fiancé is a fan. I wanted you guys to meet him, I don’t know why exactly, it was just important to me. Now that he’s here I don’t know what to do though.”

“Take him out for some food, talk with him like you did last time you were together and see where it takes you,” Sam says easily. “I’ll distract the girls, so you can escape.”

Dean throws his brother a grateful look before finding Gabe, “Hey is it ok if I steal Cas for a little while? I promise I will return him all in one piece.”

Gabriel looks at him for a long moment as if sizing him up, “Sure, just use protection.”

Dean gaps at him, not expecting that response. He shrugs it off and then sees Cas standing with Kali. With a smile on his face he goes over to the pair.

“Cas, you want to get out of here and go find some food with me?” Dean asks hopefully. Cas smiles and nods in answer. “Awesome, I want to show something really quick though.”

Dean smiles as he leads Cas back to the stage, the crew will still be working on taking everything down, but the crowd should be gone by now. He walks out to the middle of the stage and stare out into the empty space. Cas stands next to him in silence looking back and forth between Dean and where there were thousands of people not even an hour ago. The silence stretches on a few moments longer before Dean turns to Cas with a small smile.

“Cool huh? I love the difference of the before, during, and after,” Dean says quietly. Cas just returns the smile and then the two of them head out the back door to find a rental car already waiting for them. Dean hops into the drivers’ side after opening the passenger door for Cas, because Dean is a gentleman thank you very much. “It’s no Baby, but it will have to do for now.”

They drive off to a small 24-hour diner that Dean knows has the best pie in Texas. The two men find a comfy booth in the corner. A waitress brings over menus for them then they order a few minutes later. Dean and Cas both order a cheese burger with fries and a slice of pie except Cas gets a lemonade and no pie. Once the waitress walks away Dean looks back at Cas with a goofy grin on his face. He can’t believe he’s actually here. The man looks good in his light blue button down and dark wash jeans. Dean is slightly disappointed there is no cowboy hat, but the fact Cas is sitting there with him makes everything ok. Also, he can enjoy the crazy sex hair better this way.

“What are you staring at Dean?” Cas asks with that same adorable head tilt.

“You,” Dean answers knowing its cheesy. “I just can’t believe you’re actually here man. Update me on everything! How are the horses and the bees? How have the local bands been at the bar? Did you get my postcards?”

Cas lets out a small chuckle, “Yes I did get your postcards. They were a lovely surprise and I enjoyed them all. Hannah and the other horses are doing well. The bees still enjoy buzzing around. We actually hired on a ranch hand to help out with the work, Alfie. Nice kid, and Kevin is there to help while all of us are down here.”

“That’s awesome, you probably have lots a fee time now huh?”

“I do actually. Took me a while to find a way to spend it though,” Cas explains.

“Oh yeah? Did you start modeling for the hot farmers calendar?” Dean asks with his usual smirk and a wink.

Cas blushes and shakes his head but with a firm smile in place, “I don’t think that’s a thing.”

Dean sticks his bottom lip out in a pout which cause Cas to laugh again. The sound is like angles singing to Dean’s ears. He smiles until Cas stops laughing and looks at him with a small smile on his lips. His blue eyes bright with joy and a slight pink hue on his cheeks.

“Seriously though, how are you spending your time?” Dean asks again.

Cas seems to hesitate which causes Dean to frown a little, “Don’t make fun of me but… I watercolor.”

“Watercolor? Dude that’s awesome! I always wanted to get into something artistic like that but never had the time. I used to sketch and design cars, mostly back in my college days, then the band took off and well there’s not a ton of free time usually.” Dean can see Cas visibly brighten when Dean didn’t make fun of him. How could someone ever make fun of the guy? There’s so much good about him.

“You’re awesome Cas.”

The blush is back in full force causing Dean to smile softly. The waitress brings their food and the two men dig in. They continue a light conversation, catching up over the last two months. Dean tells him more about his trip and the time he spent at Bobby’s. When Dean gets to the pie he lets out a moan because its just as good as he remembers. He hears a slight choking sound and looks up to see Cas bright red setting his drink down.

“You alright over there Cas?” He asks gently.

Cas waves his hand and mumbles, “Yes, everything is fine. Went down the wrong pipe is all.”

Dean shrugs and digs back into his pie. All to soon the plate is clear and Dean is happily satisfied. Cas is giving him a strange look which causes Dean to frown slightly, “What?”

“You got a little something…” Cas brushes a finger against his own cheek. Dean wipes his cheek and finds some cherry filling. Without thinking he sucks the filling off his fingers and licks them clean. With a glance up to Cas to make sure his face is now clean he’s met with dark blue eyes filled with something Dean recognizes. He gulps before waving down the waitress for the check. Dean stares into the lust blown blue eyes and is thanking every god there is, that the man in front of him is just as affected as he is. He leaves a generous tip for the waitress and without a word he grabs Cas’ hand and leads him back to the car. Before he can open the door for Cas he is pressed against it with Cas pressed all along his front.

“Dean,” Cas’ breathing is haggard. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

All Dean can do is nod his head in agreement and Cas fits his mouth to his. They kiss desperately, not able to get enough of each other. Dean has wanted this ever since he locked eyes with the blue-eyed cowboy. Now he gets the chance and there’s no way he’s going to let it go by. He wraps his arms around Cas’ torso and pulls him closer. Cas manages to slot their legs, so Dean can feel the hardness pressed against his thigh. He lets out a moan and kisses Cas harder. What feels like hours later but in reality, probably only a few seconds Cas pulls back breathing hard.

“As much as I am enjoying this, I think we should move somewhere a little more private before we get arrested for public indecency,” Cas says, and how he can string that many words together Dean doesn’t know.

“Right yeah, let’s go.”

They hop in the car and Dean drives them to his hotel. Cas keeps a constant hand on his thigh the whole drive, stroking up and down. It’s a miracle Dean gets them there in one piece. He gives the keys to the valet then grabs Cas’ hand again dragging him to the elevator. As soon as the doors open Dean hits the fifth floor and waits for the doors to close. Apparently, Cas doesn’t even have that much patience because Dean finds himself pinned against the wall once again kissing the most beautiful person he’s ever set eyes on. He is very thankful they are the only two in the elevator and they get to the fifth floor without stopping. Dean leads the way to his room and fumbles with the key while Cas presses himself against his back mouthing at Dean’s neck.

“You better hurry Dean before someone catches us out here,” god damn that graveling voice is not helping Deans current situation. After a few tries he finally gets the door open and they tumble into the room. Clothes start flying off the second the door closes. Dean finds himself laying on his back with Cas hovering over him. They are both gloriously naked and Dean can’t help but run his hands all over Cas’ body. Trying to memorize every last edge and curve. Cas is back to mouthing at Dean’s neck and collarbone leaving him breathless. He drags Cas back up and locks their mouths back together. Dean lets out a gasp of surprise when Cas take both of them in his hand sliding up and down. They continue kissing and Dean knows this won’t last long. He’s not wrong when moments later their both coming, panting into each other’s mouths. Cas collapses half on Dean and they both try to catch their breath and process what just happened.

“That was…” Cas starts.

“Awesome,” Dean finishes. He turns to look at Cas with a smile on his face and to his great delight it gets returned, “Come on now. We both need a shower and then sleep.”

The two of them stand up and make their way to the bathroom. They share a nice hot shower lazily making out and washing each other’s bodies. Once they’re dried and changed into their boxers, they climb into the massive bed, but curl together in the middle. Castiel rests his head on Deans chest while Dean runs his fingers through Cas’ hair. Dean doesn’t remember the last time he shared a bed with someone or the last time he was this comfortable with anyone. The rest of the day catches up with Dean and he finds himself exhausted.

“Good night Cas,” Dean mumbles. He doesn’t get a reply other than a soft snore signaling Castiel asleep. With a smile on his face Dean closes his eyes, “Sleep tight my angel.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean takes Cas somewhere he thinks he will enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter I struggled to write for the longest time. I knew where I wanted the story to go but didn't know how to get there. This is what I came up with so I hope you guys enjoy! I'm currently working on editing the next chapter and will have that posted later today.

Dean wakes up to weight pressed against his side. He tenses not use to the sensation but when he sees a dark messy mop of hair he instantly relaxes. His arms wrap around his angle a little tighter and to his delight Cas snuggles in closer. Memories of the night before come back to him and he can’t help the smile on his face. He knows they’re going to have to talk about it, which he is already dreading. The truth is Dean doesn’t want it to end. He also doesn’t know how Cas feels. Was it just lust for the other man? Or did it mean more like it did to Dean? The thought of Cas leaving and them not talking ever again leaves a sour taste in Deans mouth. Luckily his thoughts are interrupted by low grumbles coming from the man on his chest. Dean smiles when a single bright blue eye opens and peeks at him through dark lashes.

“Good morning,” Cas mumbles, and Dean can feel himself growing hard again just from Cas’ voice. It’s even deeper and gravellier in the morning from no sleep which should be nearly impossible.

“Morning, sunshine,” Dean smiles again releasing the man a little bit from his arms. Cas just closes his eyes and snuggles closer once again.

“Too early.”

Dean laughs and looks at the time, its almost nine. He knows for a fact Cas is used to being up way earlier than this, but they did stay up late. “What time are you guys leaving here today?” He asks hoping his plans will still work.

“Before four, the boys are watching the farm all day,” Cas says opening his eyes finally. He leans back a little from Dean allowing Dean to take in the full picture of bright eyes and sex hair. Automatically his hand moves to run his fingers through Cas’ hair and gets a happy sigh in return.

“What do you say we hit the shower grab some food and then I want to take you somewhere, that sound ok?” Dean asks.

“Coffee.”

“Yes, we will get you your coffee,” Dean laughs as he drags the other man to the bathroom and starts the shower. Cas left his luggage with Gabe and Kali at their hotel, so Dean lends him a light gray short sleeve Henley and one of his many plaid shirts. They almost don’t make it out of the hotel room because all Dean wants to do is drag him back to the bed after seeing the man in his clothes. To Dean’s great delight none of his band mates are down in the breakfast area, either still sleeping or out enjoying the city while they can. The two men grab coffee and pile their plates with pancakes and other delicious foods. Luckily the coffee isn’t too bad at the hotel, so Cas doesn’t complain. Dean gets the car from the valet and then they are hitting the road.

“Dean, where are we going?” Cas asks holding Deans hand in his lap with his thumb brushing against Dean’s.

“That’s a surprise, angel,” Dean says with a smile, hoping Cas didn’t catch the nickname. Cas just smiles and looks out the window at the scenery going by. Dean still can’t believe Cas is actually with him again, the fact that they’re holding hands is just blowing his mind. He never would’ve thought they would end up here. Yes, he was hoping and dreamt of it but never believed it. He doesn’t know what it is about Cas. The time they’ve spent together has been some of Dean’s best memories. When they went to the museum and the botanical garden in Oklahoma Dean forgot about the rest of the world. He didn’t worry about running into fans, his music, or anything else. It was just him and Cas having fun and enjoying the places they went. Dean dreaded leaving the other man, but now Cas is here with him and he can’t keep the smile off his face. They continue the drive in a comfortable silence with music playing in the back ground quietly. When Dean pulled up into the parking lot, Cas turns to him with a bright smile on his face.

“You brought me to the botanical gardens?” He asks still smiling that Dean can’t help but return the smile.

“Last time I was here all I wanted was for you to be here with me,” Dean replies honestly. The two of them exit the car, Dean with his hat and sunglasses on. He doesn’t want to be recognized and knows there is a higher chance since the band did just perform the night before. The last thing he wants is the press to recognize him and take pictures while he’s with Cas. Once one picture gets out people will try to figure out who he’s with then hound Cas. Dean doesn’t want that for the other man, so he will take every precaution he can. With a gentle hand on the small of Cas’ back, Dean leads them to the front doors. He pays for their entrance then lets Cas take the lead of where they go.

“Did you know this is one of the top botanical gardens in all of America?” Cas asks as he walks a step ahead of Dean. The endless facts begin, and Dean couldn’t be happier with his own personal tour guide. With a smile on his face he follows Cas enjoying the view of both the man and the gardens surrounding them.

\---------------------------------------

 

The smile never leaves Cas’ face. He can’t believe Dean actually took him to the botanical gardens. They’ve wandered through a few of the gardens already. Cas’ favorite so far is the Color Garden. The many rolling hills covered in different flowers excited him. He told Dean about a few of the ones he recognized and how he tries to provide some of them for his bees back on the farm. Castiel knows his ramblings can be annoying so he tries to hold back, but Dean listens the whole time and asks questions of his own when he sees a flower he likes. It just makes Castiel’s smile grow more. How did he get so lucky to have a guy like Dean as his friend? More than friend? Cas isn’t sure exactly where they stand, but he does know that they have time and he wants to enjoy that time. So, he continues to lead the way through the gardens.

They find their way to a beautiful area filled with plants Cas recognizes from the Japanese region. There are water features and small monuments scattered throughout. The beauty amazed him. He turns back to Dean to tell him some random fact about the Japanese Maples, but the words get caught in his throat. Dean has the brightest smile on his face and his eyes are filled with so much warmth that capture Cas within them. He can’t look away. Can’t speak. Can’t even move. He just stares at the breathtaking man in front of him. Watching the sunlight filter through the trees highlighting the freckles scattered on Dean’s cheeks. Dean just stares back without a worry in the world too. Cas isn’t sure how long they stand there, it could’ve been hours or seconds, he wouldn’t know. Eventually quite giggles some where off to their side breaks the trance and Dean looks away while clearing his throat. Dean grabs his sunglasses from his chest pocket and slips them back on to Cas’ great disappointment. He likes looking at those bright green eyes. With a slight frown on his face he turns back to the mini waterfall they’re standing at so Dean doesn’t see the change in his expression.

As they leave the Japanese garden something catches Cas’ eye. A giant natural arch created by what appear to be a type of myrtle tree create a walkway leading to another water feature. Captivated Castiel’s feet take him towards the tunnel. He walks through admiring the way the dun filters through the dense branches above. Petals of reds and pinks scatter the ground below leaving a clear isle down the center. The branches and light create different patterns on the path in front of him. He can’t help but look up again with a smile on his face admiring the beauty the trees create naturally. The sound of a camera, the one on a phone, behind him catches his attention causing him to turn. He catches Dean standing there with his phone in hand and a slight blush on his cheeks.

He meets Cas’ gaze and a small smirk on his lips, “Sorry, couldn’t help it. You look beautiful walking through.”

Now its Cas’ turn to blush.

“Aw look at you! Those petals on the ground match your cheeks now.”

“Shut up,” Castiel spits out with a glare thrown at the other man but the smile on his face is enough for Dean to know he doesn’t really mean it. Dean reaches an arm out to Cas that he gladly accepts and wraps his own arms around Deans waist. They sink into the embrace enjoying each other’s company in the tunnel of trees. Dean pulls away after placing a chaste kiss on Cas’ forehead.

“Come on dork, tell me an interesting fact about these trees,” Dean teases. Castiel does just that as they walk down the path which causes Dean to laugh.

They wander the gardens for another hour before Deans stomach announces its need for food. As Dean finds something to eat at the small outdoor dining area Castiel excuses himself to find the bathroom. He returns a little while later to find Dean with his hat and glasses off taking a pictures with some girls that look about high school age. Cas figures they have to be fans of the band and recognized Dean. He wanders a little closer just close enough to be able to hear them but not close enough to be in the way. Dean glances up and locks eyes with Cas while the corners of his mouth lift up in a fond smile. The girls follow the direction of his gaze as well.

“Is that your boyfriend?” One of them asks. Dean looks back at her with a look of slight panic on his face that Castiel can’t help but feel hurt by.

“What? No, just a friend I’m visiting while I’m here,” Dean answers with an awkward chuckle. Cas’ whole stomach drops at that answer. Apparently, this whole thing means a lot less to Dean than it does for Cas. He’s not sure what he really expected. There’s no way Dean would actually want a relationship with someone like Cas. Maybe Cas should just be happy Dean is willing to be his friend at all. Something must’ve shown on his face though because when he meets Dean’s eyes again they are filled with so much guilt. He tries to play it off like his whole heart didn’t just break and offers up a small smile that everyone can tell is so fake. The two girls look back and forth between them with frowns on their faces.

Dean rubs a hand down his face and lets out a heavy sigh before turning his attention back to the girls, “That’s not true. I’m not sure where we’re at, we haven’t really talked about it yet. I do really like him though. I also know with me being me that if people figure out I am at any way involved with him they will make his life a living hell which I really don’t want to happen. So I am begging you to please not say or post anything about him?”

Cas can’t really process the words out of Dean’s mouth. The concepts are so foreign to him but makes sense if he thinks about it. Instantly he forgives Dean for his previous answer and tries to portray that when their eyes meet again. Deans answering smile is enough to know that he understands. The girls promise not to tell anyone and wishes them luck before heading off. Dean slips his hat back on and grabs his sun glasses but doesn’t put them on yet. He looks over at Cas with guilt still all over his features. Cas walks closer and gently cups his face. Instantly Dean leans into the contact and closes his eyes.

“I’m so sorry Cas, I just panicked and spoke without thinking,” Dean mumbles with his eyes still closed.

Cas steps up onto his toes and places a soft kiss on Dean’s forehead before stepping back. He waits until Dean opens his eyes again before giving him a small reassuring smile. “It’s ok, you were protecting me. I understand.”

Dean pulls him into another hug that Cas relaxes into immediately. When they break apart Dean slips his glasses back on and they order some food at the food cart Dean thought they would both enjoy. He’s right of course. When it starts getting closer to 2:00 they leave the park to head back to the hotels. Once they are back in the car, Dean reaches over and threads his fingers together with Cas’. They head back to Dean’s hotel first to gather their things. Cas had left his trench coat there as well.

When they reach the hotel, reality catches up to Castiel. This is it. He has to say goodbye to Dean again with no idea how they are going to make this thing between them work or when he will next see the man. They get up to Dean’s room and Cas rushes into the bathroom to take a breather. He doesn’t know why this is affecting him so much. He has never had a problem with keeping his emotions in check before. Then again, he has never felt this way about anyone before either. He takes the chance to splash some cold water on his face before stepping out into the main room. Dean is standing by the bed with Cas’ coat in hand and his packed suitcase sitting on top of the bed ready to go. Cas starts to shrug off Dean’s flannel to give back to him.

“No. Keep it,” Dean says with a smile. He walks closer to Cas and hands him his coat. “Besides I like seeing you in my clothes.”

Cas can feel the heat rise up his neck and to his face, but he accepts his coat and slips it on. They leave the room, Dean checks out, then they load back into the car to head to the hotel Gabriel and Kali are at. Dean reaches for Cas’ hand again and threads their fingers together. Cas can’t help but squeeze them, not wanting to let go any time soon. When they reach the hotel, Gabe and Kali are already standing outside by their car waiting for them. With a heavy sigh Cas looks back towards Dean to find the other man watching him. Slowly they both lean in and meet in the middle for a sweet kiss. Before too long Cas deepens the kiss wishing for it to never end. What feels like only seconds later they break apart and rest their foreheads together. They share breathes with their eyes closed and hands clutching each other. Cas knows this isn’t really goodbye. Dean said he really likes him, and their actions say they will make a go at whatever it is between them. With a heavy sigh of his own Dean tilts his head up and places a soft kiss to Cas’ forehead while running a hand through his already messy hair.

“Come on, let’s not keep your brother waiting any longer.”

They step out of the car and Dean pulls him into another hug. They break apart with a last chaste kiss then Cas turns to walk towards his brother and future sister in law. He’s almost all the way across the parking lot before a thought occurs to him. Quickly he turns back to Dean to find the man leaning against the black rental car with a sad smile on his face.

“Dean, can I get your number?” It feels awkward asking that question now after the last twenty-four hours they shared but they really have no way of contacting each other.

Dean’s smile turns into a full-on smirk, “Don’t worry about that.”

Castiel is so confused by that answer that he really has no idea how to respond.

Dean chuckles at his confusion before a fond look takes over his face, “Trust me ok?”

Cas nods then turns back to his brother. They load up with Cas in the back seat. He turns to watch Dean out the rear window and offers a small wave. Dean returns the wave with a bright smile. A couple minutes into the drive Cas feels something in the pocket of his coat. He rummages around until he is able to pull out the object. A post card from the stadium Dean and his band performed at the previous night greets him. Turning the card over reveals a short message followed by ten digits in the familiar writing.

**“Talk to ya soon. -Dean”**

With a smile on his face Cas pulls out his phone and enters the number before pulling up a new message thread.

**Cas—Hello Dean.**

**Dean—Heya Cas :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come crashing down for the two men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this chapter starts in Cas' point of view and then half way through switches to Deans. However each part takes part in the same timeline... If that makes sense? Each part ends at the same point in the story, its just the two perspectives leading up to that point. Not sure if that makes sense either... Anyways, enjoy!!!

It’s been two months since their time in Dallas. Dean is somewhere in the Pacific North West performing every other night or so. Castiel is still on the farm going about his everyday business. They text and call each other when they have the chance. Cas even gets postcards every now and then from the places the band goes. He keeps every single one in the same box of the originals. Dean writes the highlight of the performance or a fun fact on each one along with the little bee drawing in the corner like always. Sometimes Cas goes back through them all just to make him smile. In a couple weeks Cas will fly out to join the band in Vancouver, Canada. The band performs two concerts but takes a week for a break and explore the area. Dean invited Cas to join them about a month ago and plane tickets were bought instantly. There was no way Castiel was going to pass on that opportunity. He misses the green-eyed man like crazy.

When they parted ways in Dallas, Castiel knew it wouldn’t be easy. A long-distance relationship that’s still relatively new. They never really did talk about it. Cas doesn’t know if Dean feels the same as him. He’s pretty sure he’s crazy for falling in love with the man very quickly. Of course, he hasn’t said that yet, he doesn’t want to scare Dean away. Cas could tell you the exact moment it happened. The first time he heard Dean sing Angle Eyes at the concert in Dallas. Dean looked so beautiful on the stage with his guitar and the spotlight on him. His voice so smooth and warm. Ever since Dean sent him an early released copy of their newest album Cas has had the song playing on repeat. He can’t help but think the song is about him. There’s no way it is, but a guy could hope. With how happy he’s been with how things are with Dean he feels like nothing can tear him down. Which is why it comes as a complete shock to him when it does happen.

It’s a normal Monday morning. Cas got up early, drank his coffee, and headed out to the barn. He checked on all the horses, knowing Alfie and Kevin will be by in a few hours to feed them and clear the stalls. Cas does give Hannah a little bit of food, so she has energy for their ride later. The chickens are next, he collects the eggs and leaves the basket for Gabe to find when he gets up. Cas takes a few minutes to check on his bees and make sure all the hives are standing upright. They had a storm a few weeks back that destroyed one of the hives causing chaos for a day or two. Eventually the bees settled into the new hive and everything was ok. Once Cas is sure his bees are good he walks back to get Hannah ready for their morning ride. He saddles her up quickly after countless times of doing it before. Within minutes they are out the doors and riding along the property line.

Cas lets the breeze wash over his face enjoying the freedom in the air. They circle the property for the next hour and a half then make their way back to the barn. The other horses are out in the pasture meaning Alfie and Kevin are there working on the stalls already. Cas leads Hannah to the doors then dismounts gracefully. Quickly he ties her to a post and takes the saddle off. He brushes her down and gives her an apple as a treat then sets her free with the other horses. After the saddle is put away he checks the office in the barn for Gabe but doesn’t see him. His brother must’ve slept in or Kali has breakfast ready early. He checks in with the boys then heads to the house for his shower and food. Gabe is sitting at the table with his laptop and a plate of sugar with a side of pancakes sitting in front of him. Cas rolls his eyes but says good morning to Kali in the kitchen before he heads up the stairs. After a quick shower he changes into a comfortable pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. He heads downstairs for his own breakfast only to find both his brother and Kali looking at him oddly.

“What?” He says staring at them intently.

Gabe looks at Kali hesitating before answering, “Cassie, you should probably sit down.”

Cas does as he’s told but looks at the couple with a face full of concern, “Gabe, what’s wrong? Is it the farm?”

“No, the farm is fine,” Gabe bites his bottom lip then sighs before turning his laptop for Cas to see the article pulled up. It’s from one of those pop-culture media networks that Cas doesn’t bother following but knows is Gabe’s guilty pleasure. The first picture he sees is a picture of Dean at a bar with a handsome man with dark hair. They look like they’re deep into conversation and Dean has a smile on his face. Cas can tell it’s genuine too, which hurts a little bit even though Cas knows it shouldn’t. He likes seeing Dean happy, he just likes being the reason for Dean’s happiness more. The headline is what catches Cas’ attention next.

**_“Rockstar, Dean Winchester, gets close with ex-boyfriend from college again.”_ **

Cas’ stomach drops when he reads. It was just the two of them grabbing food, right? People do that all the time. He scrolls a little bit and feels like he’s about to throw up. There’s a picture of Dean and his ex, clearly making out against a car. Dean has his hand on the other man’s chest while arms wrap around him and press him into the car. Cas can feel the tears form in his eyes but refuses to let them fall. He manages to read through the article with bleary eyes and learns that Dean and the man, Michael, met after the show in Seattle at a local bar which then led to more after. The reporter states that the two dated for a little over a year while attending college in Kansas but split due to different post-graduation plans. Michael is now a successful lawyer at a firm in Seattle. A lawyer. There’s no way Cas can compare to a rich lawyer. He’s just a cowboy living with his brother on their family farm.

The pain settles in his stomach as he shuts the laptop then stands up and makes his way to the stairs. He ignores his brother behind him and shuts his bedroom door firmly. With a heavy sigh Cas falls on to his bed and curls up into a ball clutching the blankets to his chin. Finally, alone, he lets the tears fall. Silently he cries for what feels like hours. Eventually the tears stop coming leaving Cas heart broken and exhausted. He allows sleep to take over, so he doesn’t have to think about how he just lost the love of his life.

Some hours late Cas wakes up with his face sticky from dried tear tracks. He doesn’t feel any better after his nap, so he hopes another shower will help. He lets the hot water wash over him hoping it’ll take away the pain or at least the tension in his shoulders. It does neither and with a disappointed sigh Castiel turns the water off and steps out. He looks at his reflection in the mirror and almost flinches. His eyes look hollow and bags are already starting to form underneath them. Quickly he looks away and shuffles to his room. Cas doesn’t plan on leaving his bed for the rest of his life, so he just slips on a pair of boxer briefs before curling back under the covers. His phone beeps from the night stand alerting him of a new text message. He reaches for the phone out of reflex and before he can stop himself he sees the message.

**Dean—Hey Cas, there’s something I gotta talk to you about. When you get the chance will you give me a call? It’s really important. Hope you had a good morning.**

Cas’ heart breaks all over again at the reminder that Dean found someone else. He knows Dean just wants to call to end things with him. At least the man is decent enough to not do it over text. Without replying, Castiel shuts his phone off and places it back on the nightstand. He then turns over and looks out the window where he can see the horses grazing outside. The sight brightens his mood a little bit but not enough to stop the aching pain he feels all over. He’s not sure if he drifts off to sleep again or not but a knock at his door brings him back to reality.

“Hey Cassie, are you doing ok?” comes his brothers muffled voice through the door. Cas chooses to ignore him in hope he will just go away. Sadly, that doesn’t happen when Gabe opens the door and peeks in. “Oh, baby brother.”

Cas rolls over to look at him, “Not now, Gabe.”

“Alright, just know Kali and I are right downstairs if you need us. The boys are going to take care of everything for the farm tonight and they will come over early tomorrow so don’t worry about anything,” Gabe bow his head in defeat and backs out the door before he shuts it he sends one more worried glance at Cas. A feeling a guilt joins the pain as Cas thinks about Kevin and Alfie doing more work. His stomach grumbles but Cas ignores it in favor of curling back into his ball.

The next few days are hard, but Cas forces himself to get up in the mornings. Not as early as he used to, but he gets up. Alfie and Kevin are there every day before he gets up and he tries to give them a grateful smile when he passes them on his way to Hannah. He takes his horse out for their normal morning ride and tries to forget about Dean. The fresh air feels good and causes him to feel a little bit better each day. His phone is still off, he hasn’t bothered to look at it since. His brother and Kali wisely keep him away from the laptop so he cant look up anything and wallow in self-pity. Kali has really been a lifesaver for him. She makes sure he eats at least two meals a day and keeps him distracted. When he’s with her he’s not allowed to wallow because she just smacks him across the back of his head and tells him Dean’s not worth it. She tells him he deserves a gentleman who will treat him right and will only have eyes for him, not some dumb rich lawyer from a big city.

By the time Thursday rolls around Cas feels a little bit better. He’s not sure if he wants to go to the bar or not since it is the first place he met Dean. Kali somehow manages to convince him that it would be good for him to get back into his normal routine and not let Dean rule his life. He loves going to the bar to listen to the bands play. So, after he checks the animals he takes a quick shower then changes into a nice pair of jeans and a light blue button down. He grabs his hat at the door, with a kiss on the cheek from Kali and a quick good bye to Gabe he walks to his truck. Within fifth teen minutes he’s sitting on his normal bar stool with a refreshing lemonade in hand. Kate had asked him if he was ok when he walked in, but he quickly gave her a reassuring smile. Cas listens and actually enjoys the music. It’s a small country band playing covers of classics and modern songs. Others in the bar are enjoying the music as well, some dancing in the small open area and others watching on with delight. Soon enough Cas finds himself smiling and for the first time forgets about Dean. Two hours later Cas leaves the bar with a smile still plastered to his face.

When he pulls up to the house and sees an unfamiliar car parked he tries not to freak out. Cas hopes its not people here to mess with the barn again, he doesn’t think they would be stupid enough to pull up all the way to the front of the house. Lights are on inside so he knows Gabe and Kali are still there. He tries not to let his anxiety grow, but he can’t help the feeling that something is terribly wrong. Cas grabs his hat from the passenger seat and locks the truck before making his way to the front porch. Slowly he pushes the door open and hears voices from the kitchen. Instantly he recognizes the voice and his breath catches in his throat. Cas rounds the corner of the door way and stands there taking in the sight before him.

The sandy haired man with green eyes turns to look at him, “Cas.”

 

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“Thank you, Seattle!” Dean yells into the mic before running off stage listening to the cheering of the crowd. He has a big smile on his face loving the feeling of performing for his fans. The rest of the band joins him quickly followed by Jess. She instantly runs over to Sam and loops her arms around his neck giving him a quick kiss. Dean smiles at the sight wishing Cas was there, so he too could have someone to kiss after the concert. The blue-eyed man has made his mark on him and Dean knows he has fallen fast for the angel. The smile doesn’t leave his face as the band members start to leave, heading out for their own plans for the night. Dean makes his way out to the stage one last time and lets his mind wander to Cas. He knows its way too late to text the man since working on a farm requires early mornings and the time difference doesn’t help them at all. There will be a good morning text waiting for him when he wakes up the next day since Cas always sends one after his morning ride.

Eventually Dean makes his way out to the waiting car for him. He’s not quite tired yet and not feeling like heading straight for the hotel so he tells his driver to take him to a local bar. At one point he heard Seattle has a great bar scene and some awesome local beers so its hard to pass up the opportunity. Ten minutes late Dean finds himself sat on a barstool with a dark IPA in front of him. He has to admit it is pretty good. Dean takes in the rest of the bar around him noticing different groups. Some college frat boys enjoying a night out even though it’s a Sunday and then a group of men around his age catches his eye. Well one specific man catches his eye. He would recognize him from anywhere and a slight feeling of dread pools in his stomach. Its just his luck that the other man looks up and catches Dean’s eyes. A flicker of recognition quickly crosses his face and then a bright smile lights up his face as he makes his way over to Dean.

“Dean Winchester? Is that really you?” Michael exclaims.

Dean forces a smile, “Hey man, how’s it going?”

“Things are great for me, working as a lawyer here in Seattle actually. What are you doing here?”

“The band is on tour again, we just had a show in town tonight,” Dean explains.

“Really? The band actually took off after college?” Michael says with a look of disbelief.

Dean bristles a little. His ex never did believe in Dean’s dream of music over the course of the year they dated. Its one of the main reasons they broke up. Michael wanted to pursue his dream of being a lawyer and Dean wanted to start a band. They were actually pretty great together other than that. Dean lets out a little sigh trying to focus on the happier memories.

“Yeah, we’re actually doing really great. People seem to love our music so can’t complain about the success,” Dean says with pride in his voice.

“Dean that’s really great, I’m happy for you,” Michael actually looks genuine when he says it so Dean lets out the last of the tension he was holding in. They end up talking for over an hour just catching up with each other’s lives. Dean tells him all about the band and Sammy’s own dream to become a lawyer when the band settles down. He thinks bringing up Cas would be awkward and honestly isn’t sure what they are, so he doesn’t mention him. Michael tells him about how he’s close to being promoted to partner after he closes the big case he’s currently working on. Dean smiles easy as they talk and remembers why they got a long so great. He wonders what would’ve happened if Dean didn’t follow through with his plans for the band and used his degree in engineering. Would they have stayed together? Quickly Dean shuts down that thought as he remembers he loves what he has done with the band and he has Cas now.

“It’s getting late and the bus is leaving early tomorrow so I should head back to the hotel,” Dean says as he glances at his watch and sees its close to one.

“Wow, I had to idea how late it got, I should head out too,” The two of them stand up and close their tabs. Michael gently lays a hand on the small of Dean’s back to lead him out. Its such a casual gesture Dean doesn’t think anything of it. “Do you need a ride? I can take you back to your hotel if you want?”

“Yeah that would be great thanks.”

Michael leads him to a somewhat fancy looking car then pauses in front of the passenger door. Dean looks over and in the dim light finds blue eyes looking at him filled with hope. The problem is they’re not the right shade of blue, his dark hair is too short, and he doesn’t have the stubble along his jaw. He’s not Cas but the similarities cause Dean’s heart to ache. He misses the other man and can’t wait to seem him in a couple weeks. Before Dean knows what’s happening he is being pressed against the car with Michael’s lips on his. He blames his thoughts for being on Cas and the shock of what’s going on for the fact that he kisses back before coming to his senses. Quickly he puts a hand on Michael’s chest and pushes him away.

“Dude, what the hell?” He says pissed.

“Come on Dean, lets just enjoy the night for old time sakes,” Michael says moving closer again.

Dean steps away from the car and glares at Michael, “No. There’s no way I would ever do that with you, and I’m also seeing someone so that’s a definite no.”

Now Michael is the one who looks mad, “So you thought you would just flirt all night and then not follow through later?”

“Flirt all night? What the hell are you talking about?” Dean asks confused. “We were having a conversation catching up. There was no flirting.”

“Whatever you fucking tease. Find your own way back.”

With that Michael gets in his car and slams the door. Quickly he peels out of the parking lot leaving Dean behind. With a heavy sigh Dean pulls out his phone and calls the driver to come pick him up. The last two hours run through his head trying to find what Michael was talking about. Dean wasn’t flirting with him, they were having a nice conversation as old friends. He runs his hand through his hair frustrated at the situation. There’s no way he can not tell Cas what happened. The guy deserves to know and maybe if Dean is honest Cas won’t be mad at him and wont end things. God Dean can’t imagine things with Cas ending. The man is the best thing to happen to Dean in a very long time. By the time the car gets to him Dean is exhausted from the events of the night. He doesn’t remember the drive back or his shower before he crawls under the sheets.

His alarm goes off waking him up the next morning. Dean groans and rolls over to stop the noise. He checks his texts expecting one from Cas but finds nothing which is odd. Its over an hour later than when he usually receives one. Maybe Alfie or Kevin weren’t able to make it, so Cas has extra work to do. The feeling of dread washes over him in a wave when he realizes he has to tell Cas about the previous night. Slowly Dean gets up and changes into his travel clothes for the day then gathers the rest of his stuff. He heads downstairs to the complimentary breakfast area and sees Pam and Jo already enjoy their meals. After grabbing a plate piled high with food and a mug full of coffee he sits down with them. By the time most of the band is down stairs the bus is there ready for them. Dean loads up and sits in his normal seat before pulling out his phone to text Cas. He spent the whole time eating trying to come up with what he wants to say. Eventually he decides and types it out.

**Dean—Hey Cas, there’s something I gotta talk to you about. When you get the chance will you give me a call? It’s really important. Hope you had a good morning.**

After reading it over twice, Dean sends it. There’s no way he’d telling him over text, so he will just have to wait until Cas calls him later. An hour later and Dean still hasn’t heard from Cas. Dean doesn’t know what’s going on but usually he hears from Cas by now. It’s not until 20 minutes later when he hears Charlie curse loudly. He turns to look at her a couple rows behind him and is met with furious green eyes glaring at him. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise not knowing what he has done to deserve the heat.

“Dean Winchester you are so dead,” She says through her teeth then she seems to defeat a little before continuing, “What have you done?”

“Charlie what the hell are you talking about?” By now the whole bus is focused on them. Sam leans over the seat to look at Charlies laptop. Instantly his face hardens, and he looks at Dean with equal fire in his eyes.

“What the hell Dean?” What about Cas?” Sam yells at him. Dean stares at them confused still not understanding. Sam grabs the laptop from Charlie and practically throws it into Deans lap. He takes a moment to look at the article pulled up.

“No no no no no no no,” He’s staring at a picture of Michael kissing him last night. Quickly he scrolls back to the top and reads the headline and another picture of the two of them at the bar. “This is not happening. What if Cas has seen this already and that’s why he’s ignoring me?”

Sam snorts, “I would freaking ignore you too if you cheated on me.”

“I didn’t cheat on him!” Dean practically screams desperate.

“Dean you’re kissing Michael, your ex from college. There is photographic evidence of it happening posted everywhere. How do you explain that?” Sam accuses him.

Dean sighs trying to relax so he can explain to the furious looking band and crew. He tells them how Michael saw him at the bar and then they started talking. It was an innocent conversation of two friends catching up. Neither realized how late it had gotten so Michael offered a ride back to the hotel. He explains how Michael had pushed him up against the car and Dean pushed him back as soon as the shock wore off. Dean told them how mad Michael was, but that he left, and Dean called for the driver to take him to the hotel where he spent the night alone and not with the other man. He can see his friends believe him since they know how the media will twist anything to have a good story.

“I need to talk to Cas, but he hasn’t responded,” Dean finishes defeatedly.

“Call him. I’ll work on getting hold of the story to take it down,” Charlie says taking her lap top back. Dean shoots her a grateful look then pulls out his phone to call Cas. He sees there are no new message and with a sigh he dials the number. It goes straight to voice mail. Frustrated Dean hangs up and calls again. Straight to voice mail. This time he leaves a message.

“Hey Cas, it’s me. Listen I don’t know what you’ve seen but I really gotta talk to you about it. Its not what it looks like I promise. Just please give me a chance to explain. Call me back when you can. Bye.”

Dean looks up and sees a worried look on Sam’s face.

“Dean, I gotta ask,” Sam hesitates before continuing, “Angel eyes? Is it about him?”

Dean sighs not really wanting to answer, “Yeah it is. He so freaking smart Sammy. Kind and… Just amazing. There is no good reason out there why he chose me and after this I will be surprised if I ever hear from him again.”

“Dean you have to know that you deserve someone like him right? You’re smart and kind and amazing too. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Thanks Sammy.”

His little brother offers up a small smile before turning back around. There’s nothing any of them can do except wait so with a dejected sigh Dean settles back in his seat clutching his phone to his chest. The rest of the drive passes to Boise and still no word from Cas. They don’t perform until the next night, so they head straight for the hotel. Charlie managed to get most of the copies of the article down but knows she can’t get all of them. Dean has called and texted Cas countless times with no response. A heavy sadness takes over, but he manages to make it to his room before falling on to the bed. Sleep doesn’t come easy that night as Dean tosses and turns unable to get comfortable.

The whole next day Dean doesn’t hear from Cas, so he pastes on a smile for his fans. He goes all out for the concert knowing his fans deserve his best even when he’s not feeling it. Almost four hours later Dean is curled back in the bed unable to sleep. No word from Cas. The next couple days go the same way with another show in a different city. Dean still grabs a postcard from each place but can’t find the words to write other than “I’m sorry, please forgive me”. He sends each hoping Cas won’t ignore those as well. They perform Wednesday night then they prepare to cross the border into Canada the next day. They will have three nights between now and their next show which allows an idea to form in Dean’s mind. He’s desperate at this point to get ahold of the other man. Dean calls Sam and Charlie to his room to tell them. They agree it’s the best thing he can do, Sam is a little hesitant but knows his brother has to do this. So, Charlie makes it happen sending Dean the details.

The following morning a car takes Dean to the airport. His fear of losing Cas completely overshadows his fear of flying which he plays to his benefit the whole flight. He lands in Oklahoma City and finds the rental car Charlie arranged for him. Before he knows it hes pulling up to the farm house and sees Cas’ truck missing. The lights are on in the house though. With a heavy sigh Dean turns off the ignition and steps out of the car. He sees the front door open and braces himself to see Cas. Instead he sees Gabe standing there looking furious.

“How dare you step foot here after you broke my brother’s heart? Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage?” Gabe yells at him as he stomps forward. He takes a swing at Dean which luckily, he is able to dodge before he puts his own hands up to defend himself. He’s not quick enough and Gabe catches his jaw with his next swing.

“Gabriel!” A sharp voice sounds from the porch. Both men look over to see Kali standing there looking equally furious with both of them. She gives them a look that clearly says to follow her before she turns and walks into the house. Gabe glares at Dean but gestures for him to go first. Hesitating slightly Dean heads for the door. When he walks into the kitchen Kali hands him an icepack for his jaw and gestures to a chair for him to sit. He gives her a grateful look before sitting. Gabe goes and leans against the counter still glaring at him. Kali sighs then sits down across from Dean.

“Explain yourself,” She says calmly. Dean takes a breath then tells them the whole story.

“Please you have to believe me,” He begs. Kali and Gabe exchange a look but before either can reply they can hear the sound of tires over the gravel outside. Dean sends the couple a panicked look not ready to face Cas.

Kali gives him a small smile, “I believe you Dean. You’re a good man. I’ll try to back you up with Cassie, but he’s really upset. You kind of broke his heart.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize there were cameras or what was even going on. God, I hope he forgives me. I can’t lose him,” Dean replies looking down at his lap. The front door opens, and he looks up to find Kali giving Gabe a look that causes the man to deflate a little. Dean hopes that’s a good sign for him. Footsteps sound from the front door and stop in the doorway to the kitchen. Dean turns and sees Cas for the first time in months. There are bags under his eyes which look way hollower than they ever should.

“Cas.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will they be able to work through their problems?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in Cas' perspective, I thought it would be more interesting to read that way since he's the only one that doesn't know what really happened. Turns out it was super frustrating to write so I hope it turned out alright! Its a shorter chapter and it will be a couple days until I get the next one out too, classes for me are picking up some and taking my time away sadly. Enjoy and let me know what you guys think!!

Cas stands in the doorway taking in the sight before him. Gabe and Kali are leaning against the counter looking back and forth between Dean and him. And Dean is looking at him so distraughtly that it would’ve broken his heart if it wasn’t already broken by the same man. The handsome face Castiel has come to love looks paler than normal and heavy bags are under hid dull green eyes. It looks like the man hasn’t slept in a week. Castiel can’t help a little flare of satisfaction knowing he’s not the only one that hasn’t slept. However, there is no real reason for Dean to look that way, he’s not the one that found out the man he loves doesn’t feel the same way and has already found someone else. There is also no reason why Dean should be at him house. The good mood Cas had leaving the bar faded a long time ago and now he is filled with so much anger he does the only thing he can think of. He turns on his heels and walks right back out the door ignoring the scrape of a chair behind him.

Castiel heads straight for the barn hoping to find some comfort with the horses and busy himself long enough for Gabriel to get Dean to leave. A pang of betrayal hits him when he thinks of his brother letting Dean into their home when he knows how Cas has been the past week. He makes it to the barn but hears footsteps behind him getting closer. His whole-body tenses knowing who followed him out. Not wanting to freak the horses out with their yelling if it comes to that so he doesn’t open the barn door. Instead he turns to face Dean trying to make his face as clear as possible. He doesn’t want to give the man the satisfaction of knowing the effect he has on Castiel. Dean freezes in his spot with a look of mixed emotions on his face. The reason he’s in Oklahoma still evades him. If Dean has another person to be with, a hot-shot rich lawyer person, why would he make the trip here just to end things with Cas? There’s no way a sane man would choose a small-town farm boy over someone like Michael. Especially not someone as beautiful and amazing as Dean. With a small sigh Cas looks at Dean, still with no emotion showing on his face.

“Hello Dean,” To his great satisfaction Dean actually flinches at his cool tone. “What can I do for you?”

“Cas, please listen to me,” Dean pleads.

“How about I save us both the time and just tell you that its ok. I get it, its not a huge deal.” 

A look of confusion takes hold of Dean face as he looks at him, “It’s ok? So, you’re not mad at me then?”

“Of course not. Its not like we were dating or anything, we had one night together,” And about four or five months surrounding that one-night Cas adds silently to himself. Dean doesn’t need to know the extent of his feelings. “I appreciate you coming out here to tell me to my face but there really was no need.”

“Wait Cas, what are you talking about?”

Castiel huffs a sigh in disbelief, “I told you, I understand. Why would you want to continue dragging yourself down with a small-town farmer when you can have a lawyer or super model or whoever you want really?”

“Woah Cas is that really what you think?” Dean asks with his own disbelief now.

“Of course. We come from two different worlds. Things never would’ve worked out between us anyways. I’m needed here and you’re on the road touring, surrounded by adoring fans dying to be with you every night. Why wouldn’t you choose that option?” As more time goes by the harder it gets to keep the emotion out of his voice.

“Cas…”

“No Dean its ok. We had fun it was good, but it didn’t mean anything. I know that, you know that, so there’s nothing more to say. Now if you will excuse me I have to check on the horses.” He turns his back to Dean as he feels the first tear fall. Cas reaches for the door before an angry voice behind him stops him.

“It meant nothing to you? Our time together? Nothing?” Cas risks a glance over his shoulder, he knows he shouldn’t, but he can’t understand why Dean is so angry all of a sudden.

“Yes.”

Hurt, anger, confusion, betrayal, and something else fights for dominance on Deans face. Cas can see tears forming in the other mans eyes in the light from the barn. Which means Dean can probably see Cas’ tears too, so he quickly turns back to the barn. They stay there frozen in the moment before a harsh laugh escapes Dean. Confused, Castiel turns back to look at him. Deans whole body is shaking from the laughter, but it doesn’t sound happy at all. It sounds humorless and full of pain that just confuses Cas more.

“I don’t believe you,” Dean says when he catches he breath.

“What do you mean?”

“Our time together has meant something to you. Gabe and Kali both said you’ve been moping around the whole last week and I can see you now.”

Castiel bristles from the betrayal of his brother again, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Cas, please listen to me,” Dean begins, waiting a second for Castiel to interrupt. This time he doesn’t since he is actually very curious for what Dean wants to say. “You’re right our time didn’t mean anything to me because…”

Before he can finish Castiel turns his back and reaches for the barn doors not wanting to hear how that sentence ends.

“God damnit Cas I said listen to me! It didn’t mean anything because it wasn’t you!” That causes Cas to freeze. Confused he turns back to Dean. Apparently, Dean had come closer while his back was turned and is now standing only a couple feet away. 

“What?” He asks quietly.

“My time with Michael meant nothing to me. Nothing even happened. The media made it out to be a lot more than it actually was,” Dean explains more calmly now.

“Oh, and I’m just suppose to believe that? Give me one good reason why that makes sense,” Cas grits through his teeth, angry again. The longer they fight the more exhausted Cas becomes and the more he wants to just crawl under his covers to cry himself to sleep again.

“I don’t want Michael! I don’t want anyone except you. Cas, I want you!”

“But, the… the pictures. You guys were… laughing over drinks,” Cas stumbles over his words trying to make sense of Dean’s. “And kissing by the car.”

Dean reaches up with one hand to rub at the back of his neck, a nervous jester that Cas normally would find endearing if he wasn’t so confused. “Yeah, I didn’t know there were cameras around.”

Anger flares back up instantly, “Oh so you’re just mad that you got caught then is that it?”

“What? No! Jesus Cas just let me explain please?” Dean pleads again.

“Please do because I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“Thank you,” Dean takes a breath then meets Cas’ eyes before continuing. “After my show in Seattle I was too amped up to go back to the hotel and I knew you were asleep, so I went to a local bar just to kill some time. I was at the bar and Michael recognized me, so he came over to talk. That’s all it was I promise, just too old friends catching up. Not going to lie it was good conversation which is why we were laughing. He offered me a ride back to my hotel, I didn’t want to bother our driver that late, so I agreed. When we got to his car he…”

Dean trails off not able to look at Cas anymore, “Dean what happened?”

“He umm, crowded me up against the car and kissed me. I was so shocked that I didn’t react at first. Finally, I came back to my senses and pushed him off of me, then we got into an argument. He said some things then got in his car and drove off. Eventually I got back to the hotel and was so exhausted that I passed out right away. I woke up feeling so guilty the next morning and sent you a text saying to call me because I knew I needed to tell you what had happened. Apparently, I was too late since it was posted all over the media before I even made it onto the bus. My band mates hated me until I explained what happened. Charlie managed to get most of it taken down, but you still weren’t answering my calls at that point. God Cas I’m so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen. You mean way too much to me for me to throw it away for a one-night stand with some random fan or anyone for that matter.”

Cas is so shocked by the story that he doesn’t know what to say. Somehow, he finds his voice but once again the words that come out of his mouth cause him to cringe, “But, I was a one-night stand.”

“No. Cas you are so much more than that. The first night we met I was hooked then we spent the next day together and you allowed me to be me for the first time in over six years and I loved it. I couldn’t stop thinking about you the rest of the trip and then when you came to my show in Dallas, it was the best night of my life. I loved every second with you. Cas, I love you,” Dean states with so much conviction in his voice that Castiel knows he means it. Without thinking he throws himself into Deans arms and kisses him brutally. Its all teeth and tongue as Dean’s arms wrap around his waist pulling him in closer.

“I’m so sorry baby, I’m so sorry Cas,” Dean mumbles against his lips. 

Cas shushes him before apologizing himself, “I’m sorry Dean, I shouldn’t have shut you out like that. I just saw the pictures and article and couldn’t think. It hurt too much, so I shut my phone off. I’m so sorry.”

They stand there clutching each other with no space in between them until a voice from the porch interrupted them.

“Oh good, you two idiots worked things out,” Gabriel calls out. They turn to look at him with equal looks of annoyance that causes the shorter man to hold up his hands in mock surrender and walk back inside. Cas turns back to Dean to find him already staring back at him with so much love and adoration in his eyes. It takes very little effort to slot their lips back together, so Cas does just that. A pleased moan escapes Dean allowing Cas to swallow it down. They break apart again resting their foreheads against each other, breathing the same air.

“I love you too, you know,” Cas whispers into the shared space. A breathily laugh escapes Dean and a pleased smile forms on his face before he kisses Cas again. 

“Oh, how did I ever win your love?” Dean mumbles against his lips. Cas freezes at those words, he knows them.

“Dean?”

“What did I do? What did I say to turn your angel eyes my way?” Dean finishes with a smile.

Cas can feel tears from in the corners of his eyes, “Dean, that song?”

“It’s for you Angel. I wrote it thinking about you, it’s yours.”

Cas surges forwards and captures Dean’s lips with his own in a brutal kiss. They stay pressed together mumbling sweet nothings too each other. Eventually they made their way back into the house. Kali and Gabe were no where to be seen so the two men head straight up to Cas’ room. They talk in whispers, curled up with each other in the bed. Dean convinces him to fly to Vancouver with him tomorrow instead of waiting the four days. He also suggests talking with Jess and Sam while they’re there about the long-distance dating while on tour. They both admitted their communication skills weren’t the best but are now very committed to their relationship. Cas wants nothing more than things to work out between them. He fell hard and fast for the green-eyed Rockstar and somehow that same Rockstar had fallen for him too. Castiel also knew they had a lot more to talk about in the morning, but for that night they fell asleep in each other’s arms and smiles on their faces.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Concert time! And the band has a very big announcement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... The story got extended again, it is now 15 chapters instead of 14. Oh well! This is the chapter that I have had in my head for a very very long time and based the entire story around it. I am completely obsessed with this song so I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Heres the link to the lyrics to Faithfully by Journey. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/journey/faithfully.html
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!

Six months. It has been almost six months since he’s last seen Dean. Yes, they do talk every day. Even if it is a simple good morning or good night text. After the two weeks they spent in Vancouver, Dean’s band kicked off the second portion of their tour. They flew straight to Florida and started working their way up the East coast. Cas’ life at the farm got busier as well with the crops season. He’s been teaching both Alfie and Kevin how they do everything. They don’t have a lot of crops on the farm, but the ones they do have, need to be done correctly. Luckily no one has vandalized the farm this year.

Cas also took to housing a couple new horses from some of their more elderly neighbors since they are no longer fit to care for the animals themselves. The barn is at capacity now with the amount of horses they are able to hold. Alfie is really good with the animals with his soft, caring nature and Kevin has proven himself to be really smart and helpful with some of the more physical tasks. Gabe has had Kevin help with ordering supplies and running any other numbers they might need done. If Castiel were to be honest he would say between his brother and the two young men, the farm is running more efficient than it ever has before. But he won’t say that because it scares him.

He knows that if Gabe can get the farm running smoothly with Castiel not doing anything then there would be no real reason for him to stay anymore. Cas isn’t ready to move on, he doesn’t know where he would go. Dean is on the road most of the year anyways and there’s no one else other than Gabriel that Cas really cares about. Every time Gabe brings up the future of the farm, or the wedding, or anything Cas tends to make an excuse quickly and slip away. He knows his brother wont pressure him to move on, but he also knows Gabe thinks it would be best if he did. Gabe has always wanted what’s best for him.

When Cas had gotten back from Vancouver more relaxed and happier than he has been in a long time Gabe brought up the topic of Cas leaving and living his dream again. They argued for hours leaving Castiel upset thinking his brother doesn’t want him there again and Gabriel feeling guilty and frustrated. The topic was dropped and luckily not brought up again. While in Vancouver Dean took him all over the place. They spent time at Whistler enjoying the beautiful views of the mountain and they wandered through the city. Cas has never been to Canada before, but was very pleased with the trip. They still had to be careful in public since Dean didn’t want the press to know about Cas yet. It took Cas a while to understand why Dean was being so conscious, but eventually concluded the Rockstar probably knew best when it came to these sorts of things. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt a little. In the private of their own room though Dean more than made up for it.

He got to attend a couple more shows the band had while up north. Of course, he spent the whole-time watching Dean on stage. Cas loves watching him up there. He looks so free and beautiful. The two men also talked more about their relationship. Sam and Jess helped a lot too sharing a similar occurrence that happened between them years ago. Cas now has Jess’ number and they talk almost daily as well. Overall Cas is very happy, he just misses Dean.

Luckily about a week ago Castiel received tickets, along with yet another postcard, to the bands Homecoming show in a few weeks. Him Gabriel and Kali will take another trip, north to Kansas this time, to see the band play their last show of the tour. Until then Cas goes through the countless postcards in his collection. His personal favorite is from Whistler. He received it in the mail a few days after he returned home. The message never fails to make him smile.

**“Miss you already Angel. Love Dean”**

His small box is starting to get full and he knows he will either need to get a bigger one soon if Dean keeps insisting on sending him a postcard from every city he goes. Cas will never complain though. He can look through them and pretend he went to all of those places with Dean. Maybe someday he will visit some of those places, but until then he will remain helping around the farm.

The next couple weeks go by quickly. Alfie and Kevin will take care of the farm for the few days they will be gone. Kali is ecstatic that she gets to watch the band live again. Before Cas knew it, it was the morning of the show. They had a bout a five hour drive but wanted to check into the hotel and grab food before. Cas offered to drive hoping it’ll calm his nerves of seeing his boyfriend for the first time in six months. Boyfriend. The word brings a smile to his face. He likes knowing Dean is his and he is Deans. That thought alone calms him down enough to make the rest of the drive fly by.

With the VIP passes Dean sent him, they are led to their seats. The VIP section is a mix of dedicated fans that paid the extra price for the tickets and the band’s special guests. To Cas’ great joy their seats are right next to Jess this time. A bright smile lights up her face when she sees Cas and quickly pulls him into a tight hug. She greets Kali and Gabe the same way before introducing some of the other people in the area. Introductions happen so quick that Cas knows he won’t remember a single one. Luckily, they all go back to their own conversations. Gabe and Kali talk with Andrea since they met her at the beginning of the tour. Cas can feel eyes on him and he looks around until he makes eye contact with a stern looking woman. He thinks her name is Ellen from the brief introductions but isn’t sure. Not sure whether he should talk with her or not he offers up a small smile that causes her just to narrow her eyes more. Somehow, he is saved from any further interaction when the opening band begins their set.

Castiel will admit the opening band is good. Its different than the one he saw while in Canada. He remembers Dean saying they have three or four different opening bands for them depending on which part of the country they are in. This one seems to be a group of college students, probably only a few years younger than himself. Their music is a little more techno based than Dean’s band is, but you can easily tell they love what they are doing and having a blast on stage. When they finish the house lights come back on and people filter out for snacks or the restroom before the main event comes on. Cas watches the stage crew change the set on stage and replacing all the instruments with new ones for Dean’s band. Jess pulls him into another conversation of catching up since the last time they saw each other. He can hear Gabe laughing so he looks over and sees him talking to the same woman who was staring at Cas earlier that evening. Jess follows his gaze before giggling.

“That’s Ellen. Mama bear to our boys. You hurt him, and she will make your death look like an accident,” Jess tells him quietly. Castiel whips his head around to stare at her with panic written all over his face which causes Jess to burst out laughing. “Oh, don’t worry about it, her bark is worse than her bite. I’m pretty sure she will love you once you talk with her for a little while. She just wants her boys happy and you make Dean happy. Don’t worry about it.”

“If you say so,” Cas mumbles not feeling very reassured. He hopes Ellen will like him since she is such a huge part of Dean’s life. Dean has mentioned her in the past with stories from his high school days, so he knows how important this woman is too Dean.

The lights flash in a five-minute warning for everyone to find their seats again. Soon the stadium is packed again, and the lights go off. Screams go off all around him from the fans. Castiel has seen enough shows by now to know that Sam and the others are taking their places, but the anticipation still gets to him. Once it quiets down a little a single drum beat sounds out in the darkness. Cas can’t help the smile that appears on his face when the crowd goes crazy again. Eventually the drum beat continues, soon joined by the key board. Suddenly the lights on the stage start flashing. The guitar and bass join in. Not even a minute later everything on stage goes silent and dark.

Castiel lights up from the inside with what he knows comes next.

 

 -----------------------------------------

 

Dean stands in the dark listening to the crowd. His smile grows as the cheers get louder. In a blink of the eye the band starts up and the lights flash on. He takes in the moment looking out at their fans, mostly swallowed by darkness, but they’re there for them. Right on que he joins in with the band and sings their opening song. When he gets to the last chorus he holds the mic out to the crowd and they sing loud and proud. Dean runs across the stage egging them on to sing more and they do, going right into the last verse. He joins in at the end and the crowd cheers louder, if that’s even possible.

“Good evening Lawrence!” He shouts into the mic. “Oh, how I have missed you lovely people. Its so nice to be welcomed back into Kansas each year. Thank you all for joining us for our homecoming show!”

Just like every concert Dean introduces his band mates and they go through their set list. When it starts getting towards the end of the show he turns to look back at the band. They all set aside their instruments and come to stand with him at center stage. The crowd quiets down not knowing what’s going to happen but knowing this isn’t normal. The band spent a lot of time coming to this decision. They all agreed easily, but the way to go about breaking the news was the hard part for them to decide. Everyone who is apart of the group, managers, stage crews, record labels, they all know. Its just the fans who don’t. They agreed that telling the fans at the homecoming show would probably be the best way to spill the news, then do a press conference soon after. Dean didn’t realize how hard it would be to tell the fans though, until he’s standing in front of them all with tears in his eye. Sam places a comforting hand on his shoulder with a slight squeeze while Jo slides her hand into his free hand. Benny has an arm around Pamela as they wait for him. He takes a deep breath and looks out at the crowd again.

“Hey everyone. So, we got some news for all of you. This was not an easy decision for us but we all did agree that its time. After tonight we have one more of our normal tours planned, and it will be our last,” The crowd is silent, not knowing how to react to the news so Dean continues forward. “The band is not over. We will still produce songs and go on some shorter tours, but the year long stuff will end after next year. All of us are at a place in our lives where changes are happening, and we want to dedicate more of our time to those things.”

Dean thinks about Sam and Jess. Sam is planning on asking her to marry him during their break and also wants to go back to finish his law degree. Maybe start a family in a couple years. Charlie and Dorothy hardly see each other during the year and it’s taken its tole on them. Benny’s father’s health is starting to go down hill and he wants to spend more time with him while he can. There’s also the family restaurant that Benny has always planned on taking over. Plus, Andrea wants kids, and soon. Pam has her own things she wants to do, and Jo wants to go to college since she didn’t get the chance earlier. Then there’s Cas. Dean loves the man with his whole being and hates being away from him so much. Their relationship is so new, and it feels even newer with the fact that they’ve spent less than a month together in total. He’s ready to settle down a bit more and hopefully his angel will join him.

“We love you guys, and we love what we do. But its time to move on a little bit, so with that said. Here’s a new song we all wrote about you guys, and the special people in our lives. We hope you like it,” The crowd goes crazy again and Dean knows they are forgiven. They have the best fans in the world. With one last smile to the fans the rest of he band resumes their places. Dean places the mic back in the stand and grips it with both hands. He bows his head listening to their fans. Tears pool in his eyes from the love and support of the people standing before him. Slowly he reaches a hand up and wipes his eyes. He hears Benny and Pam start the song with Sam and Jo joining in soon after. Dean looks out to the crowd gripping the mic with both hands again before joining in with the lyrics.

 

_**Highway run** _   
_**Into the midnight sun** _   
_**Wheels go round and round** _   
_**You're on my mind** _

_**Restless hearts** _   
_**Sleep alone tonight** _   
_**Sending all my love** _   
_**Along the wire** _

_**They say that the road ain't no place to start a family** _   
_**Right down the line it's been you and me** _   
_**And lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be** _   
_**Oh, girl, you stand by me** _   
_**I'm forever yours** _   
_**Faithfully** _

_**Circus life** _   
_**Under the big top world** _   
_**We all need the clowns** _   
_**To make us smile** _

_**Through space and time** _   
_**Always another show** _   
_**Wondering where I am** _   
_**I'm lost without you** _

_**And being apart ain't easy on this love affair** _   
_**Two strangers learn to fall in love again** _   
_**I get the joy of rediscovering you** _   
_**Oh, girl, you stand by me** _   
_**I'm forever yours** _   
_**Faithfully** _

_**Faithfully** _   
_**I'm still yours** _

_**I'm forever yours** _   
_**Ever yours** _   
_**Faithfully** _

 

Dean wipes tears from his eyes again. The fans are deafening with their cheers. He looks back at his band and sees their faces in all different kind of emotions. Sam looks close to tears himself, Benny can’t even look up, and the women’s face are filled with a mix of awe and shock. Eventually they all meet his gaze and Sam starts up their last song before they head off to wait for the encore. Its one of their earlier songs that the fans know well. They thought it would be best to end on a familiar song. When the song ends and they’re all back stage, Dean pulls Jo into a hug followed with Pam finding her way in and Sam and Benny circling around the three of them.

“Don’t forget about me! I want in,” A voice pipes in from somewhere. With a light chuckle they pull Charlie into the very sweaty group hug. Before they know it, they are being called back out for the last three songs. Angel Eyes will be the middle one sandwiched between another earlier song and the traditional last song of their shows. To Dean’s great surprise the song he wrote for Cas has become one of their most popular ever since it was released. He couldn’t be happier honestly.

The band goes back on stage and take their positions. Dean smiles to the crowd before jumping right into the song. A stage crew member brings out his guitar when the first song finishes, and Dean takes the time to look into the crowd. He has a rough idea of where their families are, so he looks in that direction. It doesn’t take him long to find a familiar mess of dark hair paired with blue eyes that look like they’re glowing from all the lights. A bright smile instantly forms on Dean’s face when they make eye contact.

“This one’s for you Angel,” He says into the mic with a wink in Cas’ direction. The crowd goes crazy as he starts to play Angel Eyes. Just like the first time he performed this song the crowd brings out their lights and start waving them back and forth in the air. Dean never really got use to the sight after the first time. It happens almost every time and it still brings tears to his eyes. When the song comes to an end, the band jumps right into their last song without missing a beat. The whole crowd is singing so loud Dean doesn’t even bother singing the last verse. To his surprise the band even stops playing and joins him center stage again. They listen to their fans singing to them with tears in their eyes. All Dean can do is say thank you to the fans before they walk off stage for the rest of the night. Instantly they form a group hug letting their tears fall. Sam gets pulled away first when Jess gets back stage followed by Benny and Charlie. Dean turns around and sees him standing a few feet away with a smile on his face.

“Cas.”

“Hello Dean,” Cas replies before they meet in the middle for a long embrace. Dean allows himself to relax completely, enjoying the warmth Cas provides.

“God, I missed you so much,” He whispers into the crook of Cas’ neck.

Cas chuckles and tightens his arms around Dean’s waist, “I missed you too, love”

Dean pulls back and gazes into his favorite pair of deep blue eyes then gently pulls Cas in for a sweet kiss. When their lips meet it feels like coming home for Dean. He’s not sure how long they stood their locked together but eventually someone clearing their throat brings their attention back to their surroundings. Dean looks around to see all of his friends and family watching them with smiles on their faces. Then Sam is handing each of them a glass of champagne. They all look at Dean expectantly. He wraps an arm around Cas’ waist before addressing the others in the room.

“Well guys, another year done. I’d say it’s the best yet. I want to thank all of you for supporting us the whole time. I know its not easy being apart from the ones you love for that long,” He squeezes Cas’ side for his own assurance. “Here’s to an amazing year done and to another one just like it!”

“Cheers!”

They all take toast and take a sip before returning to their conversations. Dean turns back to Cas and places a gentle hand on his cheek. He takes in the messy hair and bright eyes. Cas looks happy. There are no bags under his eyes and they’re bright with emotion, such a contrast to the last time he saw him. He pulls him into another hug needing to be close to the other man. Luckily Cas just wraps his arms back around Dean’s waist and relaxes into the hold.

“So Dean, are you going to introduce me or not?” A voice interrupts them again. Dean cringes slightly before turning towards the other person.

“Hey Ellen,” He greets before pulling her into a hug. “Cas this is Ellen, Ellen this is Castiel. Be nice please. I kinda want to keep him and that’ll be hard to do if you scare him off.”

“Oh, shush boy. I just want to have a little chat with him that’s all,” Ellen replies.

Dean rolls his eyes then places a chaste kiss on Cas’ temple, “I love you, I promise she’s actually really sweet when you get to know her.”

With one last look at the slight panic on Cas’ face Dean offers up a smile before going to greet the others.

“It’s lovely to meet you Ellen,” He hears Cas say which causes Dean to chuckle a little bit. Jess ends up finding him and wraps him in a tight embrace of her own. He happily returns the favor then doing the same to Andrea. Gabe and Kali offer him smiles and waves from their conversation with Benny and Jo. Since everyone is occupied with each other Dean takes the chance to walk back out to the stage. All the lights are on with people roaming around cleaning the stadium. Its quiet. Peaceful. He slowly walks to the center. Turning to face the empty stadium he can still picture the thousands of lights swaying back and forth. He can still hear the thousands of voices singing their songs back to them. Dean wasn’t kidding before. This was their best year yet. Each show sold out, their newest album was a huge success, and they’ve even managed to get a head start on their next one so much so that they agreed on an extend break before getting back into the studio. They have two months off now. With his eyes closed he lets himself remember the moments they had throughout the tour season. Suddenly arms wrap around his waist and a chin is resting on his shoulder. He doesn’t need to open his eyes to know its Cas.

“Ellen through with you already?” Dean jokes.

“She scares me,” Cas answers honestly causing Dean to chuckle.

“Yeah she still scares me too.”

“People are starting to head out, Sam said I could find you out here.”

“Mmhmm. Just taking in the view,” Dean replies.

“Your eyes are closed Dean. How can you take in the view if you can not see?” Cas questions. Dean opens his eyes at this to peer at him. He’s greeted with a smirk that he quickly kisses off the other man’s face.

“Come on, lets go find our brothers,” Dean laces their fingers together and leads them off stage. He finds their brothers and their respective significant others talking. It seems everyone else has already taken off.

Sam sees them and offers up a tired smile, “Hey, you ready to head out?”

“Yeah, I need a shower and sleep like now,” Dean replies. He turns back to Cas. “Come home with me tonight?”

“Of course,” Cas says with his own tired smile.

“Awesome,” Dean says through a yawn.

“Guess that’s our que to head back to the hotel. We should grab breakfast in the morning before we head back,” Gabe offers. Something twists in Dean’s stomach at the thought of Cas leaving him again tomorrow. Something must show on his face since Cas squeezes his hand and sending him a worried look. Dean tries to play it off with a smile, but knows Cas isn’t convinced. With plans made for breakfast the three couples head out. Dean hops into the driver’s seat of the car waiting for them and Cas gets the passenger seat while Sam and Jess pile into the back. Cas reaches over and threads their fingers together again. Dean gives him a more genuine smile this time that Cas easily returns.

The drive is short but leaves them all even more exhausted than before. Sam and Jess disappear up the stairs quickly once they reach the house. Dean heads to the kitchen for some much-needed water. Cas follows him a little slower taking in the place. Its pretty clean considering no one has lived there for over eight months and Dean knows their neighbor came and checked on the place the other day. Eventually the two of them make their way up the stairs as well. Dean strips out of his clothes as soon as he steps into his room and walks to the ensuite bathroom. He turns the water to hot and steps in, instantly the water relaxes him. Cas steps in behind him and starts rubbing his shoulders. Dean lets out a moan at the touch. Cas grabs the bottle of shampoo and massages it into Deans hair. Another moan escapes Dean causing Cas to chuckle.

“We both know we are too tired for anything to happen tonight, so stop tempting me with those noises,” Cas practically growls into his ear.

“Its not my fault,” Dean mumbles lost in the sensation of Cas’ fingers in his hair. Somehow, they manage to finish showering without Dean falling asleep. Since Cas once again left his stuff with his brother Dean lends him a pair of boxers to sleep in. They pile into Dean’s bed, with its fancy memory foam mattress he loves to brag about.

“See Cas? It remembers me.”

Cas chuckles, “Go to sleep Dean.”

“Love you Angel.”

“I love you too Dean,” Cas replies. Dean wraps his arm around the other man and pulls him to his chest. Within minutes they are both blissfully asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working hard on getting the next chapter done, I'm getting stuck writing it honestly. I will get there though!! Just expect a delay sadly.... Sorry guys! But I did want to get this one out since I have it done and its been a couple days. So enjoy!!!

As planned they meet for breakfast at the Winchester’s favorite breakfast place. There’s pie for Dean. Unfortunately, Jess had to catch an early flight back to California, so Sam dropped her off at the airport before meeting them. Dean and Cas showed up ten minutes late. After showering Castiel had thought it would be a good idea to grab a shirt of Dean’s to wear since he once again didn’t have his luggage with him. So, when Dean laid eyes on him wearing his faded ACDC shirt he marched the other man right back up the stairs. It was honestly a miracle they were only ten minutes late. Sam had given Dean one of his patented bitch faces while Gabriel just smirked at them both when they walked into the diner. Seeing Cas’ shy smile the whole time made it completely worth it in Dean’s mind.

Conversation flowed easily between the five of them through out the whole meal. Dean decides he really likes Kali. The woman is sassy and keeps Gabe in his place at all times. It’s also very clear how much she cares about Cas as well. By the time Dean orders his pie for desert he realizes its almost time to say goodbye to Cas. He knows he will see the blue-eyed man in a couple weeks when he drives through Oklahoma again but that’s only for a day or two at most. Not for the first time Dean wishes they could have more time together. He has considered just not going on his trip this year and spending the extra weeks with Cas, but he knows when they get back into the studio he would be going stir crazy. Maybe it’ll be worth it? Who is he kidding, more time with Cas is for sure worth it. It’s not like he has even asked Cas if it would be ok for him to stay at the farm though. The man probably has stuff to do and wouldn’t want Dean interfering with his schedule. Dean quietly eats his pie trying to hide his solemn mood. Cas must pick up on it because soon a comforting hand is placed on his thigh. Whatever happens he knows they will be ok.

Dean pays for everyone’s meal while Cas protests next to him. He claims they are all his guests and it is a thank you for coming to their show the previous night. They file out the door and stop in front of their cars. Sam pulls Gabe and Kali into a conversation to give Dean and Cas sometime. His little brother can be a pain in the ass most of the time, but Dean is always grateful for him. Especially in times like this. Without saying a word Dean pulls Cas to him and holds him close to his chest.

“I’m going to miss you Cas,” Dean mumbles into the slightly shorter man’s neck.

“I’ll miss you too Dean. Thank you for last night and this morning,” He can feel Cas’ smile against his skin. “Will you be driving through Oklahoma again this year?”

Dean pulls back so he can see Cas’ face, “Yeah, I should be driving through in a couple weeks.”

“Will you stop by in Okarche?”

“If you’ll have me?” Dean answers with a hopeful smile that gets returned.

“Of course.”

“Awesome,” He pulls Cas to him again and squeezes him tight. Tears threaten to fall but he fights them back. He will not cry saying goodbye to his boyfriend. Two weeks is nothing compared to the last six months they went without seeing each other. Sadly, it doesn’t make it any easier and once again Dean curses the distance between them. Then an idea comes to him, he can’t believe he never thought of it before.

“What if you stayed with me? I’m driving through in two weeks anyways, I could drop you off, so you can get back to taking care of the farm and everything,” Dean says excitedly while he pulls back again. The look of doubt on Cas’ face causes his confidence to sink instantly. “Or not if that’s too long to be away from everything there, I mean I would understand. It was just an idea.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea Dean-o!” Gabriel interrupts them. Both men turn to see him standing there with a bag in his arms, Kali and Sam stand behind him with smiles on their faces.

“But Gabe, the farm? The animals? Who will take care of them without me there?” Cas asks hesitantly.

“Alfie and Kevin of course,” Gabe says like its obvious. He hands the bag over to Cas. “Here you go, a whole weeks’ worth of your clothes packed and ready to go!”

“You packed my clothes without me knowing? Did you plan this?”

“Oh, come on Cassie, don’t be mad. Consider this a test run! How well can the family farm run without you there? I guarantee you nothing will go wrong and you can finally see that you can go off and start your life!” Gabe continues before noticing the hurt creeping into Cas’ face. “Little brother, you know that’s not what I meant. There will always be a place on the farm for you, no matter what. But you aren’t happy. Ok maybe you are happy but you’re happier when you’re out in the world, other places, with Dean. I just want you happy Cassie.”

Cas pulls him into a hug, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Gabe says with a smile, returning the hug.

When the brothers break apart Dean looks at Cas with another hopeful smile on his face, “What do you say Cas? Will you stay with me?”

Cas smiles back at him, “Of course, Dean.”

Dean mentally fist bumps the air. He just got two more weeks with Cas all to himself.

“Oh, Cassie I almost forgot,” Gabe grabs something from the back of the car then comes back and places Cas’ light colored cowboy hat on his head.

“There’s my cowboy,” Dean says with a wide smile.

They say their goodbyes before Gabe and Kali head back down to Oklahoma, then they head back to the house. The whole way there Dean has his fingers linked together with Cas’ and a smile on his face. Cas mirrors the same look while watching the scenery go by through the window. Dean can’t believe how happy he is at that moment. He’s back in baby with Cas at his side. The band finished its tour, so they can relax. In one year, he can settle down more with his life since the demand of the band will be less. Him and Cas can find their own place somewhere, with their own farm, and horses, and bees. Dean can see their whole future laid out in front of him. There are only two problems though. One, he doesn’t know if Cas will actually want that future with him. And two, no one knows about Cas. That thought almost causes him to slam on the breaks. Instead he tightens his hold of Cas’ hand. The other man looks over at him with a worried look.

“Dean, what’s wrong?” He asks quietly.

“Um…” Dean’s not sure how to bring up his thoughts in a sane way. He doesn’t want to scare Cas off with his future plans. It’s not like he can hide it from him anyways. He doesn’t want to hide Cas anymore either. “I don’t want to hide you anymore. I want to be able to walk around places and hold your hand if I want to. I want to show you off to the world and show them how lucky I am to have a gorgeous man like you to call mine. But I don’t want the press to destroy your life either.”

“Dean, I want that too. I don’t like pretending we aren’t together. We spend so much time apart that when we are together I would like to be able to treat you like my boyfriend and not just a friend,” Cas replies honestly. “I don’t care about the press. I really don’t. I only care about you.”

“You mean that?” Dean looks at him with hope filled eyes.

“Of course, I love you Dean. You know that,” Cas smiles. By that point they have reached the house. Once they are safely in park, Dean leans over and places a sweet kiss on Cas’ lips.

“You wouldn’t mind if I told the whole world that you’re my boyfriend at today’s press conference? I mean, I’m sure people are guessing that there’s someone special in my life after I dedicated that song to you.”

“I would love that Dean,” Cas kisses him again before they break apart to go into the house. Sam beat them home and is sitting at the counter when they walk in.

“Hey guys. So, since Cas is staying with us Ellen wants you to bring him to the Roadhouse at some point,” He says with a smile. Dean just glowers and leads Cas back up to his room. As soon as the door closes behind them, Dean is on Cas. He pins him against the door and mouths at his neck. His hands wander, one to clutch at Cas’ already messy hair and the other to the hem of his (Dean’s) shirt. Dean just needs to feel everything. They’ve spent too much time apart and he really has missed the other man.

“Come on Angel, we got some time to kill,” Dean says with a smirk. He tugs a chuckling Cas to the bed before they both collapse in a tangle of limbs.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Later that day Cas stands off to the side of a large room with Charlie and Dorothy. He watches Sam, Dean, and the band’s manger sitting on a raised platform. Roughly a hundred people sit in front of them all with camera, notepads, or other recording devices. Flashes go off from all over the room making Cas slightly nervous. How are people able to sit in front of this all the time and act like it doesn’t affect them? Dean assured him that if Cas wants to back out of telling the press to just tell Charlie and the message will be delivered to Dean. There is no way Cas would reconsider though. Nothing would make him happier than to be able to hold his boyfriend’s hand in public without the worry of cameras around them. He sees Dean look over at him to check in to which Cas responds with a reassuring smile and nod.

“Aww you guys are so cute with your whole communicating through your eyes thing,” Charlie coos from his side.

He ended up really liking the red-head after he got to know her in Canada. She has a great sense of humor and helped him extend his movie knowledge to impress Dean. They surprisingly had a common interest in medieval history as well. Cas knows its one of Dean’s interests too and was kind of disappointed when he didn’t join in the conversation at all. That was until Cas remembered that no one knows Dean’s secret love of history. The thought caused Cas to feel a little bad, he wishes Dean would be able to open up about that part of his life. After all it was one of the first things Cas ended up loving about the man. Maybe someday.

The press conference starts with congratulating the band on a successful tour and asking about how the band felt it went. Obviously, everyone was very happy about the results. This then led into the decision of why the band decided one more year of touring before a break. Dean took the lead on answering, he repeated what he said at the concert the night before while extending a little more into the logistics of it all. Their manager added their own statement and Sam added a little bit as well. Just like Dean said earlier a young woman stood up and asked the question they’ve been waiting for.

“Dean. Last night at the concert, for one of your final songs. You looked at someone in the crowd and said, ‘This one is for you Angel’. I think we are all very interested in learning if the famous Dean Winchester is officially off the market?” She asks in the same formal tone as all the other questions have been asked in. From where Cas is standing he can see a light blush make its way to Deans cheeks.

With a soft smile Dean answers, “Yes I can happily say I am in a committed relationship.”

“And will we get to know who this lucky someone is?” The reporter asks.

Dean glances over to him with the question in his eyes. Cas nods his head again with his own smile bright on his face. He can see Dean return the smile before he faces the press again. “Would you guys like to meet him? He’s here with me now actually.”

Instantly butterflies swarm in Castiel’s stomach. This was not what he was expecting. Dean wants him to go up on the platform with him in front of all these people? Cas can feel his cheeks heating up with every second that passes. He doesn’t even hear the crowd’s response to Deans question. Somehow Dean appears in front of him and everything calms within him. Dean is here. He is safe with Dean. Dean smiles at him brightly then offers his hand, that Castiel gladly takes, and leads them back to the platform. When they reach it, Dean wraps a protective arm around Cas’ waist and holds him close before addressing the room again.

“This is Castiel, and I am lucky enough to be able to call him my boyfriend,” Dean smiles proudly with so much affection in his eyes when they meet Castiel’s. They get lost in each other’s stares as the cameras go off around them. The room practically vanishes, and all Cas can focus on are the vibrate green eyes locked on his.

“This happens a lot. Its actually kind of annoying after a while,” Cas vaguely hears a voice say. Either way the spell is broken, and Dean turns to glare at his brother who just smirks in return. That’s when the room and everyone in it comes rushing back to Cas’ senses. A blush rises to his cheeks again which causes Dean to smile bright and pull him closer. All Cas can do is wrap his arms around Dean’s waist and smile. More flashes go off around them.

“Dean how long have you guys been together?” Cas looks around to see the same woman asking questions again.

“Um, almost nine months? Right?” Dean looks at Cas for reassurance. Cas tilts his head to the side trying to think if its actually been that long then nods when he realizes it really has been that long since Dallas.

“What about you and Michael?” Some guy in the back chimes in. Castiel bristles a bit just at the mention of the other man but Dean’s hand on his waist tightens just enough to let Cas know that its ok and that he’s there.

“Nothing happened with Michael. He happened to be at the same bar I went to after our show and we were just talking. Michael wanted more out of the night and I wasn’t willing to do anything for several reasons. One being Cas here. The press just happened to catch the moment before I pushed him off of me. Again, nothing happened with Michael and nothing ever will again,” Dean states firmly leaving no room for a follow up question on the subject.

“Castiel how did you guys meet?” The original woman asks again with a small smile. Cas is in complete shock at being addressed that it takes him a moment to respond. The reporter looks like she is genuinely curious and not just asking for her job. Cas decides that he likes her.

He clears his throat, “He was sitting in my seat.”

Dean chuckles before adding, “Never have I been more grateful for making a wrong turn.” Cas looks up at him and smiles, completely agreeing with that statement. The rest of the room looks at them with confused looks on their faces.

“Dean was Castiel part of the decision for the band to stop touring?” A different reporter asks. Castiel is also curious, him and Dean haven’t really talked about the band’s decision to stop.

“Honestly? Yes, he was a huge part of it. I hated being away from him so much. Especially with our relationship being so new at the beginning of tour. We’ve been together for over eight months but physically we’ve only been together for less than one. It’s hard. I have no idea how all my other band mates have done it for years without complaining. I must’ve complained to all of them at least once a day with how much I missed Cas. Luckily, they understood and were nice enough to tolerate me. All members have something in their lives, whether it’s a person, school, or something else, that they want to spend more time with. Like I said before, the whole band agreed with this, but for me personally? Cas was the deciding factor. He means the world to me.”

As Cas listens to Dean talk about him the closer he comes to tears. Once Dean finishes, Cas reaches up and pulls him into a long kiss. Cameras start flashing again but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is the man in front of him.

“I love you so much,” Cas mumbles against Dean’s lips when they pull apart.

“I love you too Angel.”

The press conference concludes quickly after that. Charlie and Dorothy join them for dinner that night at a local place, that once again has pie for Dean. Cas soon realizes how perfect the two women are for each other. Charlie is so bubbly and energetic all the time and Dorothy is more calm and level headed. He also discovers that Dorothy travels a lot for her own job. She goes to uninhabited places around the world to write and take pictures of what she discovers for magazines. On the band’s downtime Charlie goes with her sometimes. Cas is completely jealous that her job is to travel the world. It seems that people around him have such amazing, interesting lives and his is so boring in comparison. Self-doubt seeps in again, no matter how hard Cas tries to keep it away he can’t help the thoughts that creep into his mind. He knows Dean doesn’t care how boring his life is or where he comes from. Its just hard to convince himself that sometimes. A fork full of pie in front of his face brings him out of his dark thoughts. He looks up to see Dean looking at him with a smile on his face. Cas can see the slight worry in his eyes though and tries to let him know that he’s ok. Deans smile grows just a little bit more as Cas takes the offered bite of blueberry pie into his mouth.

“Wow, he really does love you,” Dorothy says in awe. “I have never once, in the eight something years of knowing Dean Winchester, seen him share his pie with anyone. Ever.”

Dean and Cas both blush at the comment and lose themselves in the pie and each for the remainder of the night. When they say goodbye to the women Cas finds himself pulled into a tight hug sandwiched between them. With promises to keep in contact they part ways. The Winchester brothers and Cas hop into the impala and head back towards the house. Sam announces he's going to call Jess and heads for his room as soon as they get back to the house. Dean heads straight for the living room and turns the tv on, then promptly flops onto the couch. He spreads his legs open as an invitation for Cas to sit. He gladly does and soon finds himself curled up against Dean’s chest and a strong arm wrapped around him with fingers tracing lazy patterns on his arm. Dean pulls up a random movie and they lay there in a comfortable silence just enjoy the other’s presence.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Dean mumbles sleepily.

“There’s nowhere I would rather be,” Cas replies tilting his head up to kiss Dean’s neck.

“Sap.”

“You love it,” Cas says with a smile.

“Yeah you’re right,” Dean returns the smile then leans down to capture Cas’ lips with his own. Cas lets out a small moan at the sensation causing Dean to chuckle. “Come on Angel let’s head to bed.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Road trip to Okarche!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got it done!! I had several parts of the chapter written but was struggling so hard to get them to fit together. Then it just kept getting longer and longer but that's ok. This is the last major chapter, the next one I have a plan on how I want to write it, but I have to mess with it a bit to see if it works, and then the epilogue is chapter 15. Enjoy this one! Let me know what you guys think! :)

The next week passes in domestic bliss for the happy couple. Cas gets to wake up cocooned within Dean’s arms every morning. He can watch the sunlight filter through the blinds and wash over his tan skin, highlighting the freckles Cas loves so much. Each morning he attempts to count them all but loses track at some point. Its at that time that Cas manages to free himself from the embrace without waking Dean up and wonders down stairs. The first morning he started the coffee and was surprised to find Sam come through the front door covered in a layer of sweat before Cas finished his first cup. The second morning Cas joined Sam on his morning run, much to Dean’s disbelief. Even though Cas prefers his early morning rides the runs give him something to do while Dean sleeps. Dean makes them breakfast each morning too and they are able to sit on the back porch enjoying the sun.

They spend their days doing random activities. Dean works on the impala, making sure she’s in peak shape for the trip ahead. Cas loves to watch him. Dean has such a level of focus that Cas has rarely seen with the other man. It becomes increasingly clear to Cas why the green-eyed man has such an obsession with his car. Anyone who puts that much time and effort into something has the right to be obsessed with it. Of course, that doesn’t mean Cas won’t tease him about it. Cas also loves seeing Dean sweaty and covered in grease. On more than one occasion he has managed to drag Dean away and back to the bedroom which he is very proud of. Dean had also shown him his own cowboy hat during one of these occasions.

Dean has showed him his favorite places in Lawrence. Most of the diners they went to have pie available. Cas has never seen someone each so much pie and still look the way Dean does. They drive through Kansas University and Dean shares stories from his crazy college days. The way his face lights up when he talks about LARPing in the square with Charlie, or the movie parties his group of friends would have each month to relax, or even the nights the band would get together to just mess around before they made it big. Each memory brings a smile to Dean’s face and Cas loves every second of it.

As promised the Winchester brothers take Cas with them when they go to the Roadhouse to see Jo and Ellen. He gets the opportunity to watch Dean in a familiar place that he is completely comfortable in. At some point in the night when Jo and Dean are at the pool table Ellen comes over to talk with Cas. His first instinct is to tense up and panic. He knows Ellen means no harm and is just there to protect her boys. But the lady is scary. To Cas’ great surprise she doesn’t threaten him or look at him with that same calculating look she had at the concert. Instead she’s pretty open and asks more about Cas’ life. Ellen still has that no-nonsense attitude but by the end of the conversation Cas is pretty happy with his new relationship with the woman. Eventually time catches up to them and its time for them to return to Lawrence.

He remembers when they were getting ready to head out the door he hears Ellen say, “You treat this boy right do you hear me?” Cas had turned to respond but instead found Ellen glaring at Dean and pointing in Cas’ direction. A fond smile appeared on Deans face mixed with slight fear as he agreed he would never think to do anything else. Once Ellen was satisfied and stopped fussing over the three of them they drove back for a good nights rest.

Soon enough their week in Lawrence is over and everyone is packing their bags. Sam for California, Cas for home, and Dean for his trip. Cas is practically buzzing with excitement. He has a week with just Dean and himself on the road. Dean says he already has a plan of all the things he wants to show Cas and he can’t wait. The morning of their departure Dean makes breakfast and goes all out. It’s the last time he will have the chance to cook for a while, so he wanted to take advantage of it. They all dig into the chocolate chip pancakes covered in peanut butter or honey or syrup, the bacon and sausages, the fruit for Sam and Cas, and of course several cups of coffee each. Jo meets them at the house ready to take Sam to the airport then stay at the house while the boys are gone. They load up their bags in the cars then meet to hug good bye. To Cas’ surprise Jo pulls him into a tight embrace while the brothers say their goodbyes.

“East or west?” Sam asks.

“Heading west. I think I’ll do the southern portion since I’m going through Oklahoma,” Dean replies.

“Alright well if you drive through the bay area don’t be afraid to stop by. And please keep in contact this time,” Sam says with one of his signature bitch faces.

Dean just chuckles, “Yeah yeah I’ll try my best.”

“That’s all I ask,” Sam says before pulling his big brother into one last hug. “Take care Jerk. I’ll see you in about a month.”

“You too Bitch.”

Sam turns to Cas and pulls him into a hug too, “Take care of him please Cas.”

“Of course,” He replies easily. “Have a good time in California and tell Jess hello for me please.”

“Like you guys don’t talk all the time anyways,” Sam says with a laugh breaking the hug. Cas just smiles because he’s not wrong. Dean walks to Cas and throws an arm around his shoulder as they watch Sam and Jo climb into their car. With one last wave they take off leaving the two men alone.

“What do you say Angel? Ready to hit the road?”

Cas nods his head and they both move to the impala. Dean inserts a cassette and Led Zeppelin sounds through the car. He turns to Cas with a smile on his face that is easily returned. Their hands naturally find each other and link together sitting comfortable in Cas’ lap. They pull onto the road and head to their first stop. Dean wouldn’t tell him any of the places they are stopping, he wants it to be a surprise for Cas. So, when they pull over three hours later Cas looks around confused, not knowing what he’s supposed to be looking for. Then he sees it. A giant ball of twine sitting in the middle of a small grassy area. He looks over at Dean and sees a shy smile on his face.

“Come on,” Dean says while getting out of the car. He leads Cas across the street to a small café. They order their drinks then head to a table by the window. Dean stares out at the ball and Cas stares at Dean in wonderment. This ball must mean something to Dean if he is content to just sit there and look at it while they drink their coffees.

“When I was twelve I saw that ball of twine for the first time. We were just driving through town and I don’t know why but all I wanted to do was see the worlds largest ball of twine, but my dad just kept driving. I forgot about it for a while until I was just driving, trying to clear my head after our first-year touring, and I saw it. I stopped instantly and just stood there until it started raining so I walked into here. Sat down and kept staring. It’s a dumb ball of twine but I stop every time just to look at it,” Dean explains after a while of them sitting there. “Have to please my past self I guess.”

Cas continues to stare at Dean in amazement. The man in front of him never stops surprising him. He reaches out a hand and gently places in on top of Deans. A small smile appears instantly on the green-eyed man’s face, so Cas gives his hand a light squeeze in response. They don’t stay much longer since they have another short drive to their next destination. Back in the car, Cas watches the scenery go by, listening to Dean hum along to the music quietly. They talk occasionally but both are happy to just sit in silence and enjoy the other’s presence just as much.

The two men spend the next few days exploring places in Kansas and Oklahoma. Cas loves all the places Dean takes him. The way Dean lit up while talking about the castle in Lindsborg or the Dalton Gang Hangout. He loves the child like excitement Dean had while wandering around Dodge City. Cas is starting to realize Dean might really be into cowboys. If Cas wears his hat more often, no one needs to know Dean’s heated looks shot at him is the reason why he does. Eventually they make it to Okarche and Cas can honestly say he’s happy to see his little farm home. He hasn’t been gone for more than a few days before since the incident. It was nice to relax and not worry about any chores though. Also spending time with Dean in Lawrence and on the road was very pleasant. Dean pulls up to the front of the house and cuts the engine before looking over to Cas with a small smile on his face. Cas returns the smile before stepping out of the impala.

“Cassie! Welcome back little brother,” Gabe calls from the front porch. Castiel’s smile grows more as he moves to pull his brother into a hug. He will never admit it to his face, but he had missed Gabriel. Kali appears in the doorway. Cas pulls her into a gentle hug after he lets go of Gabe. When he releases Kali, he turns to see Dean and Gabe exchange a firm handshake. Dean then kisses Kali gently on the cheek and pulls her into a tight hug. It warms his heart to see Dean interact with his family so well. Cas looks up to see Hannah at the fence looking at him. He walks over with a smile on his face. Gently he reaches out a hand to stroke her long face.

“Hey girl, how are you? I’ve missed you,” Cas whispers to her while placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Strong arms wrap around his waist and Dean rests his chin on Cas’ shoulder.

“Hey pretty lady,” Dean quietly says.

“Dean I assure you I am a man and not a lady,” Cas deadpans. Dean chuckles behind him and a smile breaks out on Cas’ face. Eventually they leave Hannah and grab their bags from the impala. They find Gabe and Kali sitting at the kitchen table with some freshly made cookies. Cas laughs as Dean excitedly grabs one before realizing its still too hot to eat. With a small frown on his face Dean stubbornly grabs a cookie anyways and follows Cas up the stairs. Cas leads them to his room since there’s no need for the guest room this time. Immediately Cas flops on to his bed face first, exhausted from their days of travel. He hears a quiet chuckle from somewhere above him then the mattress dips down. Suddenly two strong thighs bracket him in and then hands are rubbing at his shoulders. A moan escapes him with how good it feels. He’s not sure if it is because he’s actually really tight or its Dean’s hands touching him. Probably a mixture of both.

Dean lays down next to him after massaging out the knots in his shoulders. Automatically Cas moves to rest his head on Dean’s chest and wrap an arm around the other man. One of them lets out a content sigh, he’s not sure which one of them did, could be both with how comfortable Castiel is. They must’ve drifted off to sleep at some point because the light in the room has diminished slightly. Reluctantly Cas extracts himself from underneath Dean’s arm. He sits up and rubs at his eyes tiredly. Looking at his phone he discovers they slept for almost two hours. A loud grumble sounds through the quiet room letting Cas know he hasn’t eaten in several hours and his stomach is not happy about that. With a look, over his shoulder Cas can see Dean peacefully asleep. Cas takes the time to study the gorgeous man lying on his bed.

“It’s creepy to watch people when they’re sleeping Cas,” Dean mumbles breaking Cas out of his staring.

“Shh you’re going to ruin the moment with your presence if you wake up,” Cas teases lightly. Hes answered with a single green eye opening and glaring at him. He just smiles back and runs his fingers through Dean’s hair. A small moan is his reward and his smile grows. They settle into silence again, Dean with his eyes closed, Cas with his fingers threaded through Dean’s hair watching him. It doesn’t take long before the silence is broken again. This time by a low growl coming from Dean’s stomach.

“Food,” The man mumbles.

“The bar is still open, if you would like to go there?” Cas offers. He hasn’t been in a while and is craving one of their burgers.

“Yeah let’s do that,” Dean says trying to sit up. Something catches his eye on Cas’ desk and he gets off the bed. Cas watches him grab the small box that holds all the postcard Dean has ever sent him.

“You kept them?” Dean asks with disbelief written all over his face.

Cas tilts his head and just smiles, “Of course. I sometimes go through and read them. They make me happy.”

A soft look replaces the disbelief, “Sap.”

He just rolls his eyes and leans in to kiss Dean gently, “I do have a question though, why the little bee drawing?”

This time a nice pink blush appears on Deans cheeks and he looks away from Cas. The man reaches up and scratches at the back of his neck. He’s nervous or embarrassed. Castiel knows that much, he just doesn’t know why.

“When I first did it I was at the gardens in Dallas. I was trying to convince myself to write something when a little bee landed in one of the flowers next to me. It reminded me of how much you like bees and I wanted you to like me, so I drew a little one in the corner. Then it just kind of stuck and I kept doing it,” Dean admits. The confession brings a big smile to Cas’ lips.

“You wanted me to be my honeybee?” Cas teases him. Dean grumbles and turns away a little. “I would love for you to be my honeybee.”

Dean looks at him again with a small smile on his face that Castiel mirrors.

“Come on handsome, let’s go get some food,” Dean stands up and reaches a hand out for Cas. They head downstairs to find a note from his brother saying him and Kali went to the city to meet some friends for the night. Cas grabs his hat before they walk out the door loving the look Dean shoots him as they walk to the impala. The drive to the bar is quiet and comfortable. Dean hums to the music and Cas looks out the window. They’ve spent so much time in the car the past week that it almost feels like home. Dean had once told him that the impala was basically their home for several years while growing up which explains his obsession with his Baby. When they get to the bar Cas can see people setting up on the stage, and its only then that he realizes its Thursday night. The thought brings a bright smile to his face. There are a couple seats left at the bar, including his normal one. He heads right for it but before he reaches it someone else beats him to it. Cas glares at the mans back before taking the stool next to him.

“You don’t belong here.”

Dean throws his head back laughing. “What you don’t like me sitting in your spot?” he winks at him.

“Well well well. Isn’t this a sight for sore eyes,” Cathy says from the other side of the bar.

“Cathy! I could say the same thing, you’re just as beautiful as the last time I saw you,” Dean turns to her with a friendly smirk on his face.

“Oh, shut it boy. No one likes a flatterer,” She replies but a smile of her own is plastered on her face. Cas just rolls his eyes at his boyfriends antics.

“Just telling the truth,” Dean sends her a wink. “How have things been?”

“Business as usual, what can I get you boys?”

“Two bacon cheese burgers, beer for him, and lemonade for me please,” Cas pipes in.

“Comin right out. Good to see you Castiel, watch out for Kate she’s got a lot of questions for you,” Cathy says before getting their drinks. Sure enough Kate comes over only minutes later.

“Castiel! You told me nothing happened and then nearly a year later I find out from a stupid magazine that you’re dating Dean Winchester. How dare you not tell me?” She demands with fire behind her eyes. The two men stare at her in shock while Cathy chuckles from a little way away.

“Umm…” Cas starts before clearing his throat. “Well to be fair when you asked, nothing had happened between us and then it just never got brought up again.”

She just glares at him then turns her attention to Dean, “You have your guitar with you?”

Shocked by the question Dean hesitates before answering, “Yes?”

“Good. You’re opening act. You get half an hour to play and you start in five minutes, so I suggest you go get ready.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dean says standing up immediately and walking out the doors. Cas turns his attention from watching Dean (his butt) walk away back to Kate. She is still glaring at him. He just looks back not knowing what to say or do. In a blink of his eyes the glare is gone, and a bright smile is in its face. Cas tilts his head in confusion.

“I’m happy for you Castiel. He seems like a good guy,” She says softly.

“He is,” Cas smiles. He sees Dean come back inside with his guitar and takes his place on the small stage.

“Hey everyone. It’s me again,” Dean starts shyly. Wolf whistles and cheers sound from around the bar and Dean’s smile grows. “I was here about a year ago for those that weren’t here. My name is Dean Winchester, and I have a couple songs for you guys tonight.”

Cas watches as his boyfriend plays and sings. He recognizes the first song from the band’s concert. Dean plays a mix of covers and his own songs then glances up and makes eye contact with Cas. Instantly he knows what song is next and a slight blush rises to his cheeks. A small smile appears on Dean’s face then he winks at Cas.

“Alright guys, one more and then my time is up. This one is very special to me and I’m sure many of you know why. Here you go angel,” Dean says looking right at Cas. A few people turn to look at him with knowing smiles on their faces. Then Dean sings Angel Eyes directly to him and it makes Cas’ heart flutter. He loves this man so much it hurts sometimes. When the song ends the whole bar breaks out in cheers and some move to congratulate Dean. Eventually the green-eyed man makes his way through the crowd and ends up in front of him. Cas reaches out and holds on to Deans hips then they meet in the middle for a light kiss.

“Aw ain’t that sweet? Here’s your food boys. On the house,” Cathy interrupts them. She brought food though, so she’s instantly forgiven. They spend the rest of the night listening to the other band, enjoying good food and drinks, and talking to some of the other locals. The same girls from the year before come over to congratulate them on their relationship and they all end up getting a picture together. By the end of the night Cas is happy, full, and tired. Dean drives them back to the house after saying their goodbyes to Kate and Cathy. They head straight for Cas’ room. Within moments they are both stripped down and tangles together under the covers. Cas’ head on Deans chest and their arms around the other. It doesn’t take long for sleep to take them both.

The following two days are passed quickly. They take a trip to the city and return to the botanical gardens. Dean holds his hand the whole time they wander around and the smile never leaves Cas’ face. Cas takes Dean on a horseback picnic. They ride up to one of his favorite viewpoints around the property and enjoy a nice meal surrounded by the quiet wilderness. Dean wore his hat and made sure Cas was wearing his as well. When they returned from the ride Cas knew it was about time for Dean to head out. He’s been dreading the moment they part and has been trying to ignore it. Apparently, Dean has been doing the same since he hasn’t mentioned anything either. A hand on Cas’ shoulder stops him from heading to the house. He turns and sees Dean looking at him with hope filled eyes.

“Cas come with me.”

He looks at Dean with his head tilted slightly to the side, “To where?”

“The rest of the trip. I know it will be so much better with you by my side,” Dean states like its obvious. Cas will admit the offer is tempting but he knows he has to get back into the everyday life on the farm.

“I can’t Dean. I’m needed here to help out with everything,” He answers sadly. There’s a selfish part of him that hopes Dean will argue and fight for him to go with him. Another part of him hopes he doesn’t because Cas knows he would cave instantly. To his relief and disappointment Dean just nods. He has a sad expression on his face that he quickly covers with a smile. Cas knows him well enough now to see right through it. His heart breaks a little at the sight.

“I understand.”

They spend the next hour or so together. Although there is a heavy tension hanging in the air around them, they both do their best to ignore it and enjoy the company the other provides. Dean eventually says he has to hit the road if he wants to make it to the next stop. Cas watches Dean as he repacks his bag. When it’s all packed, and Dean looks ready to leave he turns to Cas and kisses him softly on the forehead. Castiel’s eyes close, overwhelmed with feelings. He’s not ready to say goodbye to Dean again. He knows they have to split ways and he also knows he will see the other man in a little over a month.

They head to the kitchen where Kali and Gabe are talking. They each give Dean a hug and Kali offers him a cookie for the road, which he gladly accepts of course. Cas walks him to the car and watched Dean toss his bag into the trunk of the impala. Dean then comes back to him and wraps him in a tight hug. Instantly Cas wraps his arms around Dean’s waist and pulls him closer. They share a soft kiss then Dean pulls away.

“Bye Cas, I’ll see you soon.”

All he can do is nod and watch as Dean leaves the farm and him behind. Wiping a stray tear from his face Cas turns back to the house. Gabe and Kali look at him with looks of pity and concern mixed together. Cas is too emotionally drained to deal with anything so he ignores them both and heads to his room. He mentally makes a note to apologize to them later. Its only late evening but the days events have left him exhausted so he crawls into bed hoping sleep will take over. Of course, it doesn’t, and Cas is left tossing and turning until the early hours of morning when he finally falls asleep.

The next morning, he feels even worse, if that’s even possible. He manages to get himself out of bed and gets ready for the day. When he gets outside to start on the morning chores he finds everything to be done. Alfie is just coming back from checking on the bees and waves at Cas with a smile on his face. Cas returns the gesture automatically without thinking. Kevin is brushing down Hannah in the field by the barn leaving nothing for Cas. Realizing he’s not needed he goes back inside to get a cup of coffee. He hopes it will brighten his day a little bit. When he gets it just how he likes it he heads back to his room. He knows he’s being a little immature, but he doesn’t really want to deal with his brother’s pity looks and questions.

Setting the mug on his bedside table. He sits on the edge of his bed waiting for the coffee to cool slightly. Cas notices a shirt bunch in a corner on the floor and stands up to retrieve it. Its only when he’s holding it up he realizes what it is. Dean must’ve forgotten it while he was packing. Cas brings it closer to his face and he can still smell Dean’s aftershave lingering on the shirt. There’s a slight wetness on his cheeks but he ignores it in favor of hugging the shirt to him. He makes his way back to the bed and curls up on his side clutching the fabric. Time goes by in a blur, Cas isn’t sure how much has passed when he comes back to himself. He sees the coffee mug next to him and reaches to take a sip. Instantly he spits it back out. Apparently enough time has passed to cause his coffee to go cold.

With a reluctant sigh Cas stands up to take the mug down to the kitchen. He takes one last glance at Dean’s shirt then leaves the room. Cas dumps the coffee down the sink then rests his arms on the counter. He looks out the window above the sink. It’s a beautiful day outside. Blue skies speckled with white fluffy clouds. Maybe he will go out and enjoy the nice weather instead of hiding in his room all day. Just as he decides to do just that the front door opens.

“Cas you’ve got mail,” Gabe calls from the front door. Confused, Cas walks around the corner to see what his brother means. No one tends to send them mail very often. When he sees the two postcards his heart aches. He knows exactly who they’re from. Cas takes the cards from his brother and returns to the kitchen. Gabe follows him and sits at the table watching him closely. Hesitating for a moment Cas looks at the first one and sees a beautiful picture of the castle Dean and he went to. He turns it over to read the message.

**“The views here are almost as beautiful as you are. Love Dean”**

Cas chokes on a sob, the emotion taking him by surprise. He loved their time at the castle. Dean insisted on taking several pictures, including selfies, all while telling Cas the history of the castle. They stared out at the surrounding landscape for over an hour before hitting the road again. With shaking hands Cas picks up the second post card to see a picture of a cowboy with Dodge City written in big bold letters across it.

**“Thanks for letting me live my cowboy fantasies, love having my own cowboy around. Love Dean”**

A breathy laugh escapes Cas at the memories of Dean’s smile while in the city. Tears stream down his cheeks as he sees the bee drawn in the corner of each postcard just like always. He misses Dean so much already. It hasn’t even been a whole day since Dean left. Cas startles when a hand is gently place over his. He looks up, blinking away the tears, to see his brother looking at him with a concerned look.

“Cassie talk to me please?” Gabe basically begs. Cas hasn’t seen him beg since the incident and he asked him to come back. With a heavy sigh Cas wiped his eyes before looking at his brother again.

“Dean asked me to go with him for the rest of his trip west. It would be about a month. I told him I couldn’t go because I was needed here to help with the farm. There was no arguing or trying to convince me. He just nodded and said he understood. Then he left yesterday, and I couldn’t fall asleep for the longest time. I slept in so I was already running late for morning chores, but I get outside and everything’s done. Alfie and Kevin had finished everything before I even got up. So, I felt useless. I went back to my room and saw a shirt on the floor, so I picked it up and noticed it was Dean’s. He forgot it. I might’ve cried, I don’t remember. Since then I’ve just felt numb and not feeling up for doing anything. And then these stupid postcards come in the mail and I break down again. I didn’t even see when he had the time to buy and mail them! God, I miss him already,” Cas finishes around another sob. Gabe gently rubs his hand up and down his back trying to comfort him.

“Why didn’t you go with him?” Gabe asks cautiously after Cas calms down slightly.

“I was already gone for two weeks and thought I might be needed on the farm. Obviously, I assumed wrong. I’m not needed here at all,” He mumbles bitterly. Cas regrets his tone immediately. It’s not Gabe’s fault there’s nothing for Cas to do anymore. They both agreed to hire Alfie and Kevin and the boys are doing an amazing job.

“You know that’s not true Cassie. You will always be wanted and needed here. Maybe not physically as much anymore but I will always need you. Do you understand that?” Gabe demands.

“I know Gabe, I’m sorry. I’m just upset.”

“Do you want to go on the rest of Dean’s trip with him? You guys might want to use the time he has before they start the touring season.”

“I don’t know, I mean I would love to spend more time with Dean. Really, I would. But he already left so it doesn’t matter anymore anyways. Maybe I’ll go visit him when he gets back to Lawrence,” Castiel mumbles sadly. He knows Dean will have to be in the studio for most of the time when the band returns, but he might have time to spend with Cas.

“Or you could just call him and ask if you can join him,” Gabe suggests with a smirk on his face.

“Gabe he already left, he’s almost a whole day’s trip away by now. It doesn’t matter.”

“Well call him anyways. Tell him you’re sorry for being a dumbass for not accepting the invite and see if you can fly to him or something. I’ll even pay for your ticket,” Gabe says happily. Which confuses Cas a little bit.

“Why?” He asks.

With a heavy sigh Gabe gives him a bitch face to rival Sam’s, “Listen to me little brother. You are happy when you are with Dean. You get the chance to live the life you wanted all those years ago. You dreamed of traveling and seeing the world before you settled down. Instead you chose to help your older brother, don’t get me wrong, I am forever grateful for the last seven years with you here. But Cassie, I have never seen you look as happy as you do when you tell me stories about your trips. I want you happy. That’s all I care about. The farm will be ok. Hell I will even be ok, especially with Kali by my side. I’m happy. Now its your turn to be happy. So give that boy a call and beg him to take you with him.”

Cas pulls his brother into a hug, “Thank you brother.”

“Yeah yeah,” Gabe mumbles against his shoulder patting Cas’ back. Cas pulls away and blinks back tears once again before going in search of his phone. He takes the two postcards to his room to add to his box and finds his phone on the bedside table. When he grabs it he’s confused to see a few texts from Dean along with a couple missed calls. Panicking slightly Cas calls him back immediately. The line rings twice before Dean answers.

“Cas, hey.”

“Hello Dean. Is everything alright?” Cas asks cautiously. He really hopes nothing happened to the other man.

“What? Oh yeah, everything’s good. Listen there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, it about what you said yesterday about being needed on the farm and everything?” Cas can hear the nervousness in Dean’s voice. He knows he has to interrupt now with his change of plans.

“I want to go with you.”

“I was thinking…” Dean starts, “Wait, what?”

“I want to go with you. On your trip,” Cas states.

“Oh, well, are you sure?” Dean asks. Cas’ heart sinks. Maybe Dean changed his mind about wanting Cas with him and he called to end things with him. It would make sense, since Cas had chosen the farm over Dean. But that can’t be right, can it? Dean never seemed mad, a little disappointed, but that was it. That can’t be enough to end their relationship.

Cas swallows the lump in his throat before answering, “If you would still like me to join, I would love to.”

Dean’s laugh comes through the phone’s speaker. “Cas, I’m outside.”

“You’re what?” Cas asks completely confused.

“I’m outside on your front porch. Can you come out here and I’ll explain everything?”

Cas is already heading down the stairs to the front door. When he opens it he’s almost surprised to see Dean standing there with a shy smile on his lips and a phone to his ear.

“Hello Dean.”

“Heya Cas.”

“I’m going to hang up now.”

“Yeah you do that.”

They both pull their phones away from their ears and then Cas throws himself into Dean’s arms. He clutches him tight and is relieved when Dean clutches him right back.

“Dean, what are you doing here?” Cas asks once they pull apart. Dean’s hands still rest on his hips and he grips Dean’s forearms gently.

“I started driving but was feeling off, so I went to a friend’s place. They’re old friends I met on one of my first trips. They own a ranch on the outskirts of the city actually. Anyways I stayed the night there and got up in the morning to drive. I got a couple hours out and realized it all felt wrong without you there. So, I came back hoping to convince you to let me stay here,” Dean finishes.

“You want to stay here?”

“I want to be with you. Whether that’s here or several states away in my car. Where ever you are that’s where I want to be,” Dean says with so much conviction it causes Cas to smile.

“Sap,” He teases. Dean rolls his eyes before pulling Cas into another hug. Cas can feel fingers thread through his hair and a comforting arm around his waist.

“I missed you angel,” Dean mumbles into his shoulder.

“I missed you too honeybee.”

“Were you serious when you said you wanted to go with me? Because like I said I’m happy as long as I’m with you,” Dean asks.

“I know. And I feel the same way. I talked to Gabe and he said I should go with you. I’m not really needed here now that both Alfie and Kevin are full time and there’s nothing else to do here. Besides I want to see the world with you,” Cas answers.

“Alright let’s do this thing then,” Dean says with a bright smile. Cas smiles back before sealing their lips together in a sweet kiss.

“I got your postcards by the way.”

“They finally got here?” Dean asks. His smile never leaving his face, “About time.”

“When did you even have time to send them? I was with you the whole trip,” Cas is really curious at how Dean managed to pull it off. Dean just wiggles his eyebrows before taking Cas’ hand and heading back into the house. A glass of lemonade, two cookies, and one fully packed bag later, the two men hop back into the Impala and head west to continue their journey.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The road trip west continues...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay! This last week has been crazy busy. Anyways here is the last chapter besides the epilogue! (That will be another longer wait sorry!) This one is different than the others. Its told through a series of postcards. All of the places mentioned are real and absolutely beautiful, I've been to most of them and highly recommend a trip to see them. Some of the "postcard memories" actually are my memories from those places. This story actually takes a realistic route but would take much longer than the few weeks the boys had. There is a story piece at the end, its not all just postcards! I hope you guys enjoy! Let me know what you guys think :)

Amarillo, Texas: **“Between flowers and classic cars, I’d say it was a perfect first stop for us. Love Dean”**

Albuquerque (Sandia Peak Tramway), New Mexico: **“I hate you for taking me on that stupid tramway ride even if the views were kinda awesome. Love Dean”**

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, New Mexico: **“I will never forget how beautiful you looked while we were sitting there watching the sunset behind the bridge. Love Dean”**

Colorado Springs (Garden of the Gods), Colorado: **“We drove all night because you wanted to watch the sunrise. Totally worth it. Love Dean”**

Denver, Colorado: **“It still amazes me how after all the botanical gardens we’ve been to you still find random facts to tell me. Love Dean”**

Maroon Bells, Colorado: **“Perfect view for our picnic lunch date. Love Dean”**

Mesa Verde, Colorado: **“Remind me to never let you pick out the hike again. We were walking on the side of a cliff dude! Love Dean”**

Arches, Utah: **“I let you pick the hike. Again. 9 miles in the sun is 9 too many. Yes the rocks were pretty awesome so I guess I’ll let it slide this time. Love Dean”**

Bryce Canyon, Utah: **“Dude, mother nature is cool. Love Dean”**

Zion (The Narrows, Angel’s Landing), Utah: **“I already landed my own angel ;) Love Dean”**

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona: **“Remember that little old lady that took our picture for us because we were struggling to take a selfie? She said your eyes match the river and I’m a lucky man. I couldn’t agree more. Love Dean”**

Antelope Canyon, Arizona: **“I don’t remember the canyon very much, but I do remember the way your face lit up with wonder as we walked through. Love Dean”**

Grand Canyon, Arizona: **“I can be the Paul Bunyan to your Babe ;) Love Dean”**

Phoenix, Arizona: **“Discovered you don’t know much about desert plants, there was no stopping you from learning about every plant we walked past though. Love Dean”**

Joshua Tree, California: **“All that learning in Phoenix paid off, how you remembered all that I will never know. Love Dean”**

Disneyland, California: **“Thanks for being my Prince Charming. Love Dean”**

Monterey Bay (Aquarium), California: **“Cas! Look at the baby sea horses! Love Dean”**

San Jose, California: **“We're supposed to gang up on Sam, not you and Jess gang up on us! Love Dean”**

San Francisco (Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island), California: **“Never going on the night tour again. That was creepy man. Love Dean”**

Yosemite, California: **“This was always one of my favorite stops, its peaceful. I’m happy I was able share it with you. Love Dean”**

Lake Tahoe, California: **“Nothing better than a day of relaxing on the water in the sun. Love Dean”**

Redwoods, California: **“I had no idea there was that much history behind a giant tree. Leave it to you to know it all. Love Dean”**

Bandon (Rose Garden), Oregon: “ **My favorite was the Angel Face Rose. Love Dean”**

Crater Lake, Oregon: **“This was the first National Park I ever went to. The views still amaze me every time, kinda like you. Love Dean”**

Bend, Oregon: **“Favorite city of all time. Someday I would love to live here. Can you picture us here? Love Dean”**

Newport (Thor’s Well), Oregon: **“I can’t believe you left me to get hit by that wave! Love Dean”**

Cannon Beach, Oregon: **“Nothing better than watching the sunset on the beach cuddled up next to you. Love Dean”**

Portland, Oregon: **“You spent three hours in the bookstore. You can be such a nerd sometimes, luckily, I seem to have a thing for nerds. Love Dean”**

Olympic, Washington: “ **Baby mountain goats Cas. I want baby goats. Love Dean”**

Whidbey Island, Washington: **“I will never forget the smile on your face when you saw the whales, so beautiful. Love Dean”**

Seattle, Washington: **“I can’t believe you didn’t want to stick a piece of gum on the gum wall. Love Dean”**

Mount Rainier, Washington: **“If I get to stare at your ass the whole way up the mountain then I won’t complain about the long hike. Love Dean”**

Glacier, Montana: **“You looked like an actual angel laying in the snow at the top of the glacier. I am one lucky guy to call you mine. Love Dean”**

Yellowstone, Wyoming: **“Everything is going to smell like sulfur for days man. But that black bear you pointed out was pretty freaking cool. Love Dean”**

Grand Teton, Wyoming: **“Can’t wait to tell Sam we named a moose after him. Those views though. They never get old. Love Dean”**

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: **“Well Cas, you’ve met my whole family now. Bobby likes you don’t worry, he will show his true teddy bear self one day. Love Dean”**

 

**\------------------------------------**

 

Castiel has been back in Okarche for about a week when the last postcard arrives in the mail. He was surprised to see a pile waiting for him when he got home and never stopped smiling as he read through them. They spent almost four weeks traveling the west side of the states. It was the trip of a lifetime for the cowboy. They moved quickly but still got to enjoy the sights as they went. There are a couple places he wishes they spent more time at, but Dean just promised him they would go back and see it all again. Just the thought of another road trip with the green-eyed man brings a smile to his face. The memories Dean wrote on the postcards will have to do for now. He has already gone through the thousands of pictures they took and told countless stories to Gabe and Kali.

If you were to ask him which stop was his favorite, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. Each one holds a special place in his heart. He loves the unique landscapes in Utah and Arizona. He loves the fun they had in California at Disneyland, with Sam and Jess, on the lake, and in the trees. He loves the way Dean relaxed and looked so at home in Oregon, Cas really does love Bend as well. All of the amazing sights in Washington and Montana with the different animals everywhere. The Grand Teton in Wyoming is defiantly in his top three stops. The views of the mountains just took his breath away each time. Cas would love to spend a week there just to wake up to the sight every day.

Life on the farm is easy now. After his trip, Cas allowed himself to relax and leave the work to Alfie and Kevin since they developed a schedule that works. Cas will still ride Hannah every day and check on his bees, but the farm has never run smoother. Some days its hard to not have anything to do but he spends the time going through postcards, looking at pictures, or reading some of his new books from Portland. Kali spends a lot of time with him just relaxing while Gabe works. He came back to the news of Kali being pregnant which they quickly celebrated with lemonade. Knowing a child is on the way caused Cas a little panic on where he would go but his brother was able to calm him down pretty quickly. Cas will always have a place at the farm no matter what happens. He is forever grateful for his brother.

In two weeks, he will go up to Lawrence to spend more time with Dean while the band works on some new songs in the studio. They planned on about a week visit, but Cas knows he will want more time with the man he loves. A few days before he’s supposed to leave Gabe hands him a letter that came in the mail for him. Slightly confused he turns the envelope over to see his name written in a familiar handwriting. Why Dean is sending him a letter now, Cas doesn’t know. So, he opens the letter and reads:

**“My dear angel. It has been torture the last two weeks without you by my side. I know I will see you soon, but I miss you so damn much. Asking over a letter may not be the best way, but I felt like it was better than over the phone. I love you so much Cas. You have changed my whole world this past year. I never thought I would be lucky enough to find someone who puts up with me and my life. And then you came in looking all sexy with your cowboy hat and I was a goner. How you chose me I will never know. I know with my way of life its hard but its even harder being away from you.**

**Cas will you move in with me in Lawrence? I know you have your family and your life on the farm, so I understand if you don’t want to. I just wanted you to know the option is open to you. I don’t have room for a horse, but there might be room in the back yard for your bees. I know you love to teach but never really got the chance to, I happen to know one of the local elementary schools here has an open position with your name on it.**

**I love you Cas, that won’t change no matter what you decide to do. You are my world and I will do everything in my power to be with you no matter what it takes. Think about it and let me know what you think. I’ll see you soon my angel.**

**Love Dean”**

Cas stares at the letter in shock. Dean just asked him to move in with him. Just the thought of waking up next to Dean every morning sends his heart into a fluttery mess. Can he actually leave the farm? He needs to talk to Gabe. Cas hurries down the stairs and finds Gabe in the kitchen preparing dinner.

“Hey Gabe, can I talk to you about something really quick?” Cas asks hesitantly.

“Yeah what’s up bro?” Gabe replies without stopping what he’s doing.

Cas takes a deep breath before answering, “Dean asked me to move in with him.”

This causes Gabe to freeze his actions. When his brother turns around, a bright smile in his face is not what Cas was expecting.

“It’s about damn time that boy asked you. I was surprised when you came home and stayed a couple weeks ago. Cassie this is great!”

“You’re really ok with me moving out?” He asks quietly.

“Cassie, I know you will be so happy living with Dean. The amount of love between you guys is disgusting, Kali agrees with me,” Gabe reassures him while pulling him into a hug. “Go call your man and tell him you’ll start packing now.”

Cas pulls back and looks at his older brother, “Thank you Gabriel.”

Gabe shoos him out of the kitchen and with a small smile on his face Cas heads back up to his room to find his phone. He hits call and holds the phone up to his ear waiting. It rings three times before the familiar voice, that he loves so much, answers.

“Heya Cas!”

“Hello Dean. I got your letter,” Cas replies not wanting to waste time.

“What do you say angel? Move in with me?” Dean asks. Cas can hear the nervous tint to his voice and wants nothing more than to assure the man that he wants this.

“Of course,” He says simply and is greeted with a loud whoop from the other end of the line. Cas chuckles at his boyfriend’s antics.

“I love you so much Cas, you have no idea.”

“I love you too honeybee,” Cas replies quietly.

“I’ll see you soon angel,” Dean says before ending the call.

Cas looks around his room, he doesn’t own much so it shouldn’t take him too long to pack up. He starts with his books and before Cas knows it his truck is packed, and he is on his way to the love of his life.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple short snapshots into the lives of Dean and Castiel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone this is it! Its finished! I'm so sorry for the delay, life got crazy. This ended up being really hard to write because I didn't want it to end and didn't know how to end it. I hope you guys are happy with it though. Thank you so much for reading!!!
> 
>  
> 
> I have some new ideas for some other fics that I hope you guys will like so stay tuned :)

Dean is getting ready to leave for tour again. This year is so much harder to pack up and get on the tour bus. The last month has been pure happiness in his world. He gets to wake up to the most beautiful man in his bed every morning. Dean spends most of his time at the studio and Cas started his new job at the elementary school close to their house. Every night they come home to each other and make dinner then sit on the couch and watch a movie or talk and catch up about their days. Sometimes Sam joins them which just makes everything better for Dean, the two people he loves most in the world there with him. Cas always has funny stories about the kids in his classes that causes Dean to smile and laugh along. He’s so proud of his boyfriend, finally getting the chance to put his degree to use and doing something he loves to do. The last month has been pure domestic bliss for the happy couple.

Now Dean has to leave, and he doesn’t know if he will be able to leave his angel behind. He sits alone in their room staring at his bags. Over the past couple days or so he’s gotten grumpy and quiet. He dreads leaving and tries to hide his feelings as much as possible, but he knows Cas notices something wrong. Dean tries to forget the hurt looks that flash across Cas’ face when Dean doesn’t join him on the couch for long and goes to bed early. It’s not Cas’ fault so Dean doesn’t know why he’s taking his anger out on the man. Cas deserves so much better than Dean. Maybe that’s what it is. Maybe Dean’s scared that Cas will finally see he can do better and when Dean leaves for tour Cas won’t be here when he gets back. Cas wouldn’t do that, though right?

“Dean will you please talk to me?” Cas appears in the doorway startling Dean out of his thoughts. He looks up and quickly looks away, not able to meet the blue eyes he loves so much. “What’s going on with you lately? We only have a couple days left before you leave, and I would really like to spend that time with you.”

With a heavy sigh Dean runs his hand down his face, “That’s just it Cas, I’m leaving.”

“It’s only for eight months and I’m flying out to meet you a couple times when the breaks line up with the school. We’ve been over this Dean. We did it before when we hardly knew each other so we can do it now.”

“What if we can’t though?” Dean asks before he can stop himself. His eyes flash up to Cas’ face to see hurt and confusion on his face again.

“What are you talking about Dean?” Cas basically demands, anger now seeping into his expression.

“Cas…” Dean starts almost begging the other man to forgive him, “What if you realize you don’t want this life, or any life with me? What if while I’m gone you meet someone else and you leave me? What if the distance is too much and that breaks us up? I don’t know if I could handle that Cas!”

Cas’ face softens slightly while he moves to sit next to Dean on the bed. He reaches over and laces their fingers together, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. “Dean I love you so much, you know that. There is nothing in this world that will change that fact. I am yours and yours only for as long as you will have me.”

“I’m forever yours faithfully,” Dean mumbles with a small smile.

“Exactly,” Cas mirrors his expression.

“I’m sorry love. Leaving has never been hard for me, I’ve always been excited to get back on the road with the band. Now I have you and I don’t want to leave,” Dean explains.

“Just think, in less than nine months you won’t have to leave for long periods of time again.”

“You’re right.”

“I love you honeybee,” Cas mumbles into the side of Dean’s neck where he has started to place soft kisses.

With a quiet groan Dean leans his head back to allow Cas more room, “I love you too angel.”

“I know. Now what do you say we make the most of these last couple days and not leave this bed?”

Dean throws his head back laughing and pulls the love of his life towards him for a soft kiss. They do their best to follow Cas’ suggestion unless food is needed until they kiss goodbye when Dean gets on the bus. Two months and they will be back together in California.

 

\---------------------------------

 

Cas’ summer break started a few weeks before the end of Dean’s tour allowing them to do whatever they want for three months. Of course, they decided on a road trip. They’re going east this time. Cas is excited with all the places Dean wants to take him. Its about a week into their trip and they are on their way to Dallas. Dean wanted to go back to the botanical garden since he heard they opened up a new area that Cas would love. He also wanted to keep it a secret, so Cas has no idea what he is expecting when they arrive to the garden. There are no signs advertising a new exhibit but maybe its just new to them since its almost two years since they’ve been there. Memories of the first time Dean took him here bring a smile to Cas’ face. They first started dating while in Dallas. Their first date had been to the botanical gardens. It was kind of perfect now that Cas thinks about it.

They take their time wandering through. Cas as always tells Dean facts about random flowers and plants. Dean surprises him with some facts of his own. When Cas shot him an impressed look Dean responded with a smirk and a wink which just caused Cas to roll his eyes. It’s a little while later when they come to the familiar walkway covered by a canopy of trees. Its even more beautiful than the last time they were there. He turns back to Dean and sees a similar look of awe on his face. The light coming through the branches causes Dean’s green eyes to sparkle and his freckles to stand out more. Cas takes the time to take in this beautiful sight instead of the trees. Dean’s voice breaks him from his staring.

“Excuse me miss? Would you mind taking our picture?” Dean asks an elderly woman close to them. She nods and holds her hand out for the phone. Dean quietly explains how to work it, or at least that’s what Cas assumes. The woman smiles and holds the phone up towards them. Dean comes back over and wraps his arm around Cas’ waist and Cas does the same. They stand there smiling for a second then Dean moves. Confused Cas turns to look at his boyfriend to find him no longer standing next to him. Instead he is down on one knee holding a small box out in front of him. There’s a small smile on his face and his eyes have a fond look in them. Cas’ mouth opens in shock when he realizes what’s going on. Neither of them notices all the other people around them watching. They only have eyes for each other.

“Castiel, my angel, we shared our first date here, so I thought it would be fitting. I have never been happier than I am with you in my life. I love you so much and would be honored to call you my husband. What do you say Cas? Will you marry me?”

Tears form in the corners of Cas’ eyes, but he doesn’t do anything about it. Instead he nods his head, “Of course, Dean.”

A huge smile breaks out across Deans face as he takes the simple platinum band out of the box and places it on Cas’ ring finger. Within seconds they are in each other’s arms clutching tight. Cheers break out around them bringing them back to reality. They share a soft kiss then a tap on Deans shoulder causes him to turn around. The elderly woman is standing there with the phone and a smile on her face.

“You two will be very happy together for a very long time,” She tells them before turning around and walking away. The two men share a slightly confused look then smile because they both hope she is right. Dean shows him the phone and Cas is surprised to see a video and several pictures of Dean proposing to him. They are framed perfectly under the arch with the petals scattering the ground. Instantly pictures are sent out to all of their friends and family. They continue their walk through the garden and when they finally retire for the day Cas looks back and smiles.

The first time he was there he left with a boyfriend, this time he is leaving with a fiancé.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Less than a year later they got married surrounded by their friends and family at Gabe’s farm. It was a beautiful day with clear skies and laughter all around. The newly wed couple left for their honeymoon road trip part way through the night wanting to get a head start. They’re doing the full US this time around, hitting all of their favorite spots and hopefully discovering some new ones. The car rides are filled with music and them singing along. The diners they stop at always have burgers and pie. Gardens, museums, historic sights, and national parks fill their days as they travel south. Then east. Then north. Then west.

They find themselves siting on one of the rocky beaches in Oregon watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. It’s been a month since they started, they’re taking their time every where they go. There’s no rush to get back to Kansas, so they’re taking advantage of the time they have. Neither one of them breaks the silence as they sit there with their arms around each other and Cas’ head resting on Dean’s shoulder. Something about being in Oregon causes them both to relax and enjoy the nature around them. The next day they head south towards Bend. They stop in Sisters for dinner and of course they order burgers. Its when they’re on the road again that they come to a viewpoint. The sun is getting ready to set so they pull over to watch.

The sky is painted with pinks, oranges, and purples. All mixing together in swirls and stripes. They sit on the hood of Baby and look out at the mountains. Dean points to each one and tells Cas which one it is. There’s still a little bit of snow on the mountain peaks which glow from the leaving sunlight. Nothing can beat a Central Oregon sunset over the mountains. They sit there in silence admiring the view before Dean speaks.

“Here. This is where I want to spend the rest of my life. You by my side and these beautiful mountains to wake up to every morning. We can get some land out here and have a small farm of our own. We can have horses and goats and bees. There has to be a school around here for you, and maybe I can open up an auto shop here. Sisters is beautiful and its so close to Bend if we need anything. What do you think Cas?”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

“Awesome.”

They watch the last of the light disappear then they continue to look up at the stars, pointing out different constellations to each other. The next day they look at some properties available. Instantly they find one they love. Its about 50 acres with a small barn and a good-sized house. Both the house and barn need some work, but its nothing the two of them can’t do themselves. Cas looks at the local elementary school and discovers they are actually looking to hire a new third grade teacher. Luck is on their side and their dream comes together in a small town in the middle of Oregon.

Two months later and they are fully moved in just in time for Cas starting the school year. As Cas goes to work Dean continues to work on the renovations on the property. They focused on the house when they first moved in and got it to exactly how they like it. Dean was able to turn one of the extra bedrooms downstairs into a mini recording studio for the band when they need it. They have the master bedroom and three guest rooms upstairs. An office for Cas downstairs next to the studio. Cas surprised him by hanging up every single postcard they’ve collected over the years on the walls of his office. The sight brought tears to Dean’s eyes the first time he saw it. It’s part of their story told in the best way possible.

Dean is planning on surprising Cas with a full-size green house garden behind the house where Cas can grow whatever he would like year-round. The barn is next on his list. The sooner he gets the barn ready the sooner Cas can bring Hannah over and Dean can get his goats. Sometime after they settle more, and the weather warms up Dean wants to build a warehouse on their property for his own classic car auto shop. He can take in a couple cars at a time and fix them up to their original beauty. It’s a while off but that’s ok, they’re both pretty happy with where they are at in their lives.

It’s only a few years later that everything falls into place for them once again. They’re lying in bed cuddled up with each other after a busy day. Dean has his head resting on his husband’s chest who is slowly running his fingers through Dean’s hair. He can’t help the happy sigh that leaves his mouth. He has his dream house, dream job, and his dream husband. There’s only one thing that would make it better.

“Hey Cas?”

“Yes honeybee?” Dean can’t help but smile at the little pet name Cas gave him years ago. He rarely uses it but every time he does it causes Dean’s heart to melt.

“Would you ever want kids? With me?” Cas’s fingers stopped they’re movement through his hair and silence filled the space around them.

“Of course.”

Deans heart skips a beat at that simple answer. He tilts his head up so he can look up at his husband. Blue eyes meet them and there is nothing but pure happiness and love in them. Dean reaches up and places a chaste kiss to his lips before laying his head back down with the happiest smile on his lips. Yeah life is awesome.


End file.
